Coronet Peak Ski Area manager Hamish McCrostie said intensive snowmaking on Monday night had helped create a base of about 20cm on the lower mountain, but snow was "very thin" in other places.
"We're working to make snow and push snow into those areas."
Mr McCrostie hoped they would be able to make more snow last night.
"We are working very hard to get open on Saturday ... at this stage we'll make a final decision [today].
"Everyone is working very hard with the single goal of getting open on time."
If Coronet was able to open as planned, a ribbon-cutting "and some bubbles" for the first people through the new gates which access the chairlift will be held at 9am, he said.
The new Meadows Express quad chairlift, suitable for novice skiers and riders, would take people up the hill just east of the base building and was able to move up to 2000 passengers an hour.
The chairlift was designed with children in mind and included a range of safety features including automated safety bars, which descend over passengers when the chair leaves the lift terminal and rise at the top.
It also had a "kid stop" mechanism, designed to ensure young skiers did not slip underneath the bar, with it fitting between their legs to keep them in place, and an "automatic loading carpet".
The MetService predicted mainly fine weather for Coronet on Saturday, with northwesterly winds.
Meanwhile, at The Remarkables - scheduled to open on June 19 - the snow base yesterday was 60cm on the upper mountain and 45cm on the lower mountain.
