It is thought to be the latest start to winter in 50 years - and it is beginning to have major repercussions. The 2011 Queenstown Winter Festival has cancelled on-mountain events this weekend, and hundreds of skifield workers are still without an income.
As of yesterday, Work and Income had received 80 applications for emergency benefit assistance from Coronet Peak staff, southern regional commissioner for social development John Allen said.
More applications were expected over the comingdays.
Work and Income was also working with the Remarkables, Mt Hutt, Snow Park, Treble Cone and Cardrona skifields and associated industries to help employers bridge the gap with their employees until the snow arrived, he said.
The number of applications received at the other skifields was not available yesterday.
While the 220 Coronet Peak staff and 160 staff assigned to the Remarkables continued to pinch pennies until the mountains opened, ski-rental shops in the resort were also hurting.
Brown's Ski Shop co-owner Paul Veitkus said the retail part of Brown's outlets in Queenstown was "chugging away", but only a skeleton staff was working in the rental department until the season began.
"It's one of the worst starts we've had in snow-making. You can't get away from that," Mr Veitkus said.
Peak season starts with school holidays in New Zealand and Australia next week, and any further delays will cost skifield operators hundreds of thousands of dollars for each week.
Ski Areas Association spokesman Miles Davidson said 1.4 million people visited New Zealand's 25 skifields last year.
"It's huge for the economy, especially in the regions like Canterbury, Southern Lakes and Ruapehu. If people aren't travelling to those regions because of snow, then all those business will be affected.
"You're talking accommodation, airlines, rental-car companies. The whole industry is affected." Despite the lack of snow in Wanaka, more than 170 Treble Cone staff underwent a full season training programme last week.
Staff members were now on stand-by and barbecues and a sports day were planned for them.
Cardrona has also delayed its opening day - scheduled for tomorrow - until further notice.
Field manager Gary Husband said lower temperatures were needed to enable more snow-making.
In the past two weeks there had only been a couple of opportunities for snow-making.
A natural snowfall was also needed.
"Where there's no guns, there's minimal snow," Mr Husband said.
Activities and shared meals have been organised for the more than 400 staff on stand-by at Cardrona.
Snow Park, which was originally scheduled to open on June 11, is continuing with its snowmaking efforts and holding get-togethers for its 60 staff.
Weather forecaster David Crow, who has lived in Queenstown since 1962, told the Otago Daily Times yesterday he could not recall a later start to winter.
"I think this year it's going to be exceptionally late.
"This is certainly most unusual." At best, a "dusting" of snow would arrive tomorrow, down to 1300m, and another dusting to 900m on Saturday or Sunday.
There was no indication of a heavy snowfall in the foreseeable future.
However, it would come, he said.
"It's still some way off before skiing." Treble Cone, originally supposed to open today, announced on Tuesday it would delay the start of its 2011 season because continuing warm temperatures had allowed for only "a small number of snow-making bursts" and hardly any natural snowfall.
"It's really frustrating ...but what can you do?" marketing manager Nigel Kerr said.
There was a "sprinkling" of snow on the Treble Cone summit, but "effectively no snow" on the rest of the mountain.
"We need both the natural snow and the ability to make some snow to get off to a start," Mr Kerr said.
Queenstown Lakes Mayor Vanessa van Uden issued a call to arms last night, encouraging visitors and residents to enjoy the winter festival, which was about more than snow.
"... Winter Festival has always been about getting together, not only to celebrate Queenstown's official start to winter, but also our community and this awesome environment. And that's exactly what we're going to do."
The festival will be officially opened by Prime Minister John Key tomorrow night.
- Additional reporting, The New Zealand Herald
