Fronts bring mountains of snow

Remarkables Ski Area manager Ross Lawrence is up to his waist in fresh snow yesterday afternoon...
Remarkables Ski Area manager Ross Lawrence is up to his waist in fresh snow yesterday afternoon.The Remarkables received more than 50cm of snow between Saturday and yesterday and now boasts a base of 1.1m. Photo supplied.
Management at Queenstown's two skifields were thrilled with the weekend cold front which brought a month's worth of precipitation to the Wakatipu in two days, although neither field plans to open early.

Remarkables Ski Area manager Ross Lawrence said the field received 40cm to 50cm of snow on Saturday night, with another 5cm to 10cm falling on Sunday night.

The field now had a base of 1.1m.

Mr Lawrence said another cold front forecast to hit the resort last night and this morning was likely to bring even more snow.

He was "pretty confident" the snow would stick around until opening day, June 20.

"However, ski bunnies hoping The Remarkables would follow in Mt Hutt's footsteps and move its opening day forward were out of luck.

"At this stage - with four weeks before we open anyway - I don't see any change in our opening date," Mr Lawrence said.

"We will be assisting Mt Hutt in getting operational until their seasonal staff come on board.

"It is quite a complex exercise to be able to move start dates forward," he said.

Coronet Peak Ski Area manager Hamish McCrostie said the field's snow-making machines were turned on yesterday and would be producing snow by the end of this week, in preparation for its June 6 opening.

The field received about 20cm at the base and now had close to 50cm at the top.

Queenstown Lakes District Council Harbour Master Marty Black said there was every indication the worst was over in terms of rain.

"The Shotover was running at 500cumecs on Saturday night but yesterday afternoon the flow had subsided considerably, with just over 75cumecs recorded at Peats Hut at 3pm."

Mr Black said Lake Wakatipu was still high, but about half a metre off the first flood warning.

 

 

 

 

 

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