Mild spell sets ski areas back

Mild weather and rain have closed one Southern Lakes ski area and delayed the opening of at least two others.

Canterbury's Mount Hutt was the only ski area operating in the country yesterday.

Queenstown's Coronet Peak, which attracted 3000 people on opening day after a $30 million redevelopment over summer, has been closed since Friday.

James Coddington, chief executive of parent company NZSki Ltd, said the ski area would be closed at least until Monday.

The company stood down some of its staff, without pay, yesterday morning, leaving core operations and food and beverage staff remaining until the weather is cold enough to make snow or natural snow arrives.

Coddington expected a significant snowfall at the weekend. When the weather turned cooler, he said, the mountain's $12m snowmaking system should cover the main trails within two days.

The Remarkables, another NZSki field, has pushed forward its opening.

The unseasonal weather means The Remarkables Ski Area will not open as scheduled this Saturday.

"We're prepped and ready to go as soon as nature plays the game," manager Ross Lawrence said.

Snow Park, in the Cardrona Valley, was scheduled to open today but manager Sam Lee said yesterday that was "ambitious".

It will not confirm a new opening date until weather conditions change.

"We've lost a fair amount of snow," Lee said.

"We need three days of cold to get enough snow to open."

Cardrona Alpine Resort is set to open on June 27, however sales and marketing manager Bruce McGechan said the mountain needed colder weather or more snow to open fully.

He said July 7, the first Monday of the July school holidays, was a key date for the industry.

According to websites snow.co.nz and metservice.co.nz, Mount Hutt, with a 35cm base, was the only New Zealand ski area open yesterday.

Temple Basin Ski Club president Martin Toon said yesterday there was very little snow in the ranges.

"It's like mid-summer there's no snow anywhere," he said. "But let's face it, it's still very early in the piece."

- © Fairfax NZ News