2011 Ski Season

[spwill]

Remarkables ski field have delayed their opening, had been scheduled to open this Saturday.

A nice looking pool of cold Cb east of the SI tonight, shame that missed NZ.

[southernthrash]

Yea saw that, guns going at the qtown fields again tonight at least.

[03Stormchaser]

From Hutt this morning:

Snowmaking has been online at Mt Hutt since 10 pm last night. We have 7 guns on in the base area hitting the learners area hard and then up 21 guns up 72 to top of quad. We have also had guns top and bottom of Broadway.
Temps have been around – 5 on the ridge and -2.5 to -3 wet bulb in the base area with very low humidity overnight. But as we speak temps have increased and we will be shutting down our guns. We are trying....
Cheers Team @ Hutt.

[CHCH Weather Chaser]

Next weekend looks interesting for the first time in ages. Long way off yes but for the first time in ages showing s good southerly system for the South Island with the isobars coming straight off the antartic shelf. Something to watch!

[spwill]

A non season so far.

System later in the week is certainly worth watching

[Twizel Dave]

Hello! Another early autumn / spring like day in the high country! My goodness it is warm! And still no snow of course. This weather really is incredible.

[CHCH Weather Chaser]

Seems that chance of a good southerly system has diminshed significantly now for this upcoming weekend. When is that typical southerly buster storm going to bring significant snow fall. Wont be before July now it would seem.

[spwill]

Yes looks less good but there may be a few days southerly flow coming up for the east coast ( ECMWF) which could be good for Mt Hutt/Ruapehu.

Turoa Ski Area has delayed it’s scheduled opening by one week until Saturday July 2nd

[Razor]

July 2nd seems highly optimistic, for anywhere in NZ let alone the north

[Twizel Dave]

Hello! It was a rather grotty day in the high country if you were on the valley floor, with a grey cloud layer above and cool temperatures, but up on the ski fields it was lovely I'm told, as they were above the cloud and in the sunshine. Perhaps I need to take up flying an aeroplane as a hobby.

[southernthrash]

an inversion, well done.

[melja]

Such sarcasm
Oh and it seems it might be New zealand to be the last to open its ski areas this year in the southern hemisphere

[southernthrash]

ha. meh, It's not been flash in Australia so far.

[spwill]

ha. meh, It's not been flash in Australia so far.

I do believe they are skiing over there . Perisher, Thredbo and Charlotte Pass reporting 30cm falls today.

The carnage continues here, Treble Cone delays opening http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/new-zeala ... -of-delays
I think the lack of snow cover on our high country this year is adding to the temperature woes, it has generally not been cold enough to make snow.

[spwill]

A doom and gloom news story about SouthIsland winter tourism http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/ ... -a-big-hit closed ski fields not helping.

[Twizel Dave]

Hello. Queenstown's winter festival looks to be anything but. The Coronet peak ski field has no snow and no prospect of any soon so they have cancelled several events. This is very sad for the people reliant on that income.

http://nz.totaltravel.yahoo.com/news-op ... now-event/

The high temperatures mean snow guns are worthless. Today there was the kind of hot north west wind blowing that is usually seen in spring and summer!

[Michael]

Looks though were in for a taste of what E'Australia had in for the last few weeks and with the ash in the atmosphere be a late spring so its just late seasons I will suspect.

[Flutterbye]

Hello. Queenstown's winter festival looks to be anything but. The Coronet peak ski field has no snow and no prospect of any soon so they have cancelled several events. This is very sad for the people reliant on that income.

http://nz.totaltravel.yahoo.com/news-op ... now-event/

The high temperatures mean snow guns are worthless. Today there was the kind of hot north west wind blowing that is usually seen in spring and summer!

A 'hot' north west wind? Was this in Twizel only? Seemed to be pretty cool over most of the mid to lower South Island.

[melja]

Twizel WS recorded a high of only around 4C i think

[spwill]

From the Herald http://msn.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/artic ... 40&ref=rss

Our ski fields should get some snowfall over the next week. I think Mt Hutt and Ruapehu will do best for snow perhaps Turoa being the winner.

[Manukau heads obs]

from that article

It is thought to be the latest start to winter in 50 years.

what say you southerntrash?

[spwill]

Some snowfall on the Ruapehu fields this afternoon, there will be more snow there tomorrow with the next system currently showing up as an area of thunderstorms in the mid Tasman.

From the Otago Daily Times
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/queenstown-la ... elds-limbo
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.

[tich]

Mt Taranaki has quite a coating now (saw it on TV1 new sphoto), but only a few small ski-fields there.

[spwill]

I am guessing some ski fields will be able to open by next weekend, Turoa,Whakapapa, Mt Hutt and Coronet Peak.

[Manukau heads obs]

Mt Ruapehu missed alot of the rain bands from this low, went around the central NI
but Turoa should pick up some snow showers mid week with the cold SE change?
whakapapa might get a few snow showers next few days in this now cold SW airstream...