Skiers and riders have awakened this morning in New Zealand to awesome spring skiing conditions at all the ski areas in the South Island. Right on cue spring snow started to fall on the first day of spring and has swept through the South Island since then.

Mt Hutt, in Canterbury, was closed yesterday but is due to open this morning at 10 am, once the road is cleared from all the snow! According to Ski Area Manager, Dave Wilson, “This heavy dump is well timed to create a fantastic base and people are really buzzing in anticipation of our exciting calendar of spring events at Mt Hutt”. Snow fell in Methven Village yesterday also.

Fresh snow has blanketed Coronet Peak and The Remarkables near Queenstown with 25 cm at the top of Coronet Peak and 25 cm all over The Remarkables. “There is a good base of fresh powder and all lifts are operational. The timing couldn’t be better to create a fantastic base for New Zealand’s top alpine skiers racing in the Volkswagen Alpine Ski Nationals that kick off today,” according to Ski Area Manager Hamish McCrostie.Cardrona Alpine Resort reported 60 cm of spring snow fell over the past few days.

Treble Cone also enjoyed the snow from the same weather system which brought them 40 cm in the Saddle and 25 cm in the Home Basin.

The North Island ski areas of Turoa and Whakapapa, on Mt Ruapehu are sitting on 1.80 metre and 2.00 metre bases respectively and are open today, with sunny weather forecast for the balance of this week.