NZ Weekly Weather Blog – Tips for Waiting out the Lack of Snow

June 13th, 2011

Mt Ruapehu 15 June Image:: Mt Ruapehu

Mt Ruapehu 15 June Image:: Mt Ruapehu

NZ Weather Blog | Matt White

Or should I say lack of snow blog!
Hi everyone, well it hasn’t been a good week for cold temperatures yet alone snowfall… Mother Nature still isn’t coming to the party so we are all going to have to align our positive chi and send a message to the snow gods that we are ready to shred! A few of the mountains in the southern lakes region including Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Snow Park, Cardrona and Treble Cone have had a small window of snowmaking but nowhere near enough to open. People are starting to get itchy feet and the bars are flourishing in this downtime…

This week’s weather…
I’d love to tell you that something is on the horizon, that the cold snap is coming… but for this week it still looks warm, maybe a little skiff of snow tomorrow… but for the Queenstown/Wanaka area there will be sun all week, for Mt Hutt and Cantebury there may be some rain and for the Nth Island fields sun, sun and more sun…

So now what? Well we can only sit and wait really can’t we… as I recommended last week you may wish to band together and sacrifice some skis in a gesture to the snow gods, maybe a snow dance, or maybe just drink your sorrows away at your local bar… I reckon that when it does cool down it’s going to dump.

things to keep you busy while you wait for the snow to come

  • Keep fit, those skinny legs of yours are going to hurt the first day up the hill, get those toothpicks fit and strong now before it’s too late!
  • Make sure your ski/snowboard outfit looks good in the mirror
  • Get to know your local bartenders… they will guide you through the downtime
  • Take up chess or scrabble
  • Facebook or twitter all your mates and tell the world how impatient you are for the snow to come
  • Go play mini golf at Benny Bright’s place
  • Watch your favourite ski/board vids on repeat
  • Make a shot-ski!
  • Pray every single day for it to snow

no snowboarding
These kids from Cantebury don’t care if there’s no snow! Image:: Courtesy Matt White

As of now, the mountains are either on hold or still anticipating opening on time, here’s the latest updates:

Rainbow: July 2
Mt Lyford: June 30
Hamner Springs: July 2
Temple Basin: July 2
Broken River: July 2
Craigieburn: July 2
Mt Cheeseman: July 2
Mt Olympus: July 9
Porters: June 24
Mt Hutt: On hold until there is snow
Mt Dobson: July 9
Roundhill: July 9
Ohau: June 25
Treble Cone: June 23
Cardrona: June 24
Snow Farm: June 25
Snow Park: On hold until there is snow
The Remarkables: June 18
Coronet Peak: On hold until there is snow

With a lot of the fields hoping to open by the end of next week, hopefully I will have some cold news for you next week.. I’m off to do a snow dance of my own!

SONY DSC
SONY DSC

New groomers for Snow Park… just add snow. Image:: Snowpark

 

Treble Cone forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.

Snow Park forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.

Cardrona forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.

Turoa forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.

Coronet Peak forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.

Whakapapa forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.

Mount Hutt forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.