Timely boost for the skifields

A late season flurry of snow  on the Remarkables yesterday. Photo by Kyle Mulinder.
A late season flurry of snow on the Remarkables yesterday. Photo by Kyle Mulinder.

After warm weather and record-setting sunshine hours for Queenstown last month, snow fell again at the resort's skifields yesterday.

Niwa's August climate summary shows Queenstown recorded 186 hours of sunshine during the month - 155% of normal, the highest August total for the resort since records began in 1930.

However, snow began to fall on the mountains in the resort yesterday, providing a timely boost to the snow bases.

Coronet Peak ski area manager Ross Copland said the mountain received ''some quite good snowfall'' yesterday morning, which turned to rain early yesterday afternoon.

Despite warm temperatures 100 days into the 2014 season, the ski area was ''actually in really good shape'', he said.

The base of the mountain had 1m of snow but much of the piste snow had been lost, Mr Copland said.

The ski area was scheduled to close on October 5, after the Australian school holidays, which begin this week, and the New Zealand school holidays, which begin next week.

Mr Copland said he was ''pretty confident we're going to get there''.

Despite good snow coverage at the Remarkables, ski area manager Ross Lawrence said that it was likely the mountain would close for 2014 on September 28 as scheduled.

Mr Lawrence said the 60cm of snow delivered across the mountain by a front in August had held up well to the warm weather, largely due to cold temperatures at night enabling the ski area to continue to make snow.

Asked if the ski area would consider delaying its closing date, Mr Lawrence said patronage would dictate that.

The Remarkables had another busy summer ahead, with a multimillion-dollar upgrade of its base building planned, on which work would need to start as soon as possible.

''We're still waiting on confirmation of [the start date] from the board.

''It has been a great season. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive towards the development ... the new chairlift, learners' [area] and extending the trails.

''It just sets us up for going forward.''

One of the biggest issues the ski area faced this season was pressure on car parking.

On numerous days, the car park reached capacity, forcing Remarkables staff to close the road and patrons to pay for a bus to the top of the ski area.

Mr Lawrence said NZSki was ''certainly looking hard at that'' for next season.

Snow was falling steadily on the Treble Cone Skifield yesterday, with 13cm recorded at the Saddle Basin in the 24 hours to mid-afternoon.

Marketing and sales manager Nick Noble said the field had enjoyed its ''strongest ever'' August.

Visitor numbers were the highest on record, boosted by 234cm of fresh snow between July 29 and August 14 and then a month of fine weather.

The Cardrona Alpine Resort also got snow yesterday.

Treble Cone is due to close on September 28 and Cardrona on October 5.

The MetService is forecasting more wintry weather later in the week with a ''very cold outbreak'' spreading up the South Island from Friday night into Saturday.

Snow may fall to near sea level over Southland and Otago, with a risk of heavy snow on the hills and ranges of Southland and southern parts of Otago.

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