Usually, the school holidays would have fallen earlier this month, when the district's skifields were battling to open because of a lack of snow. While the district suffered from visitor cancellations during the Australian school holidays over the past fortnight, last week's heavy snowfalls came just in time for the New Zealand school break.
Cardrona sales and marketing manager Nadia Ellis said yesterday's perfect weather, recent snowfalls, the new Valley View Quad chairlift and the start of the school holidays all added up to the field's busiest day yet.
Cardrona opened on July 8, but had to close over two or three days last week because of stormy conditions.
"The Rugby World Cup delay [of the school holidays] has actually really worked to our advantage. We were only two weeks delayed [in opening], so our losses aren't quite as bad as some of the others," she said.
The ski area's new Valley View Quad had "really proved its worth" as the only lift on the mountain where visibility was unaffected by cloud on Saturday.
Jackie van der Voort, general manager of Treble Cone, which opened last Thursday, agreed the school holiday timing had been ideal.
"It's probably the best opening weekend snow-wise and skier visit-wise that we've had ... each day's numbers are picking up," Ms van der Voort said.
"If the school holidays were there every year, I'd be pretty happy. It's great timing for the ski areas."
"I cursed it at the start but now I'm pleased," Mrs Lee said.
"If you have [school] holidays without snow, it's going to affect your bottom line."
Snow Farm opened for a few hours on July 9 before bad weather forced it to close, then opened full-time from last Wednesday.
While other Southern Lakes skifields were struggling to open during recent weeks, Snow Park enjoyed a busy fortnight after a June 30 opening made possible by the field's 29 snow guns.
Snow Park's ski school had been particularly popular with families during the past two days, marketing manager Kristy Quin said.
"In comparison to last year, we're off to a really good start to the school holidays," Ms Quin said.
The Remarkables Ski Area manager Ross Lawrence said a reasonable crowd turned out on Saturday, but yesterday was "the best crowd yet, which is a sign of the Kiwi school holidays".
"The weather makes all the difference. It's been excellent," Mr Lawrence said.
While weather forced the postponement of the first slopestyle series of 2011, which had been planned for Saturday, yesterday the minishred was held as planned, with a large air bag "like a big pillow" erected at the skifield yesterday and today for skiers and boarders to jump on.
The slopestyle series will now be held on Sunday, with Picnic in the Park on Saturday.
The story was much the same at Coronet Peak, with "lots of people, lots of snow and fantastic blue skies", Ski Area manager Hamish McCrostie said yesterday.
Coronet began its annual night skiing on Friday and Saturday, which had once again proved "very popular". Fantastic conditions made all the difference, he said.
Night skiing would continue every Friday and Saturday until mid-September, weather permitting.
The ski area was prepared for a busy week, with numbers expected to increase today due to "arrival patterns" from school holidaymakers.