While most skifields would welcome heavy early-season snowfalls, Ohau Snowfields is in the middle of a $2.2 million development, the biggest since it opened in 1956.
It is installing snow-making equipment which will extend the season, enabling it to open and guarantee snow during the school holidays, three weeks earlier than its normal opening.
Today, 23 snowmaking guns will arrive to be installed.
About the middle of next week, pumps and compressors will arrive.
Mr Neilson hopes it will all be ready to start making snow about the middle of next month for the field's opening day on June 28.
In addition to the snow-making guns, an 11,400cu m reservoir has been excavated, two pump houses built and 3km of 1.5m-deep trenching opened for water and air pipes.
A resource consent for a water supply for the system has already been approved by Environment Canterbury.
The electricity supply is also being upgraded.
Improvements are also being carried out at the Lake Ohau Lodge, including a race team ski workshop.
Mr Neilson said the snow-making system has been designed for low energy consumption.
The first stage of the project - eventually another two stages will increase the snow-making guns to more than 60 - started on February 11 and will cover the ski trail from top to bottom and the learners' area with 300mm of snow, using up to 20,000cu m of water over 100 hours.
It is anticipated this will be done about three times over the early season.
Apart from improving the use of the snowfield, the new system is expected to generate an additional 3500 skier days, boosting the local economy.
In the past, the snowfield had only a small snow-making system limited to the learners' area.
