No Wanaka skifields have moved their scheduled openings forward despite the early snow dump.
Cardrona field manager Gary Husband yesterday described the recent snowstorms as "the exception to the rule" that snow in May does not stay.
Avalanche risk, mainly caused by wind shifting snow around, was very high on Mt Cardrona, he said.
Public access is being "strongly discouraged" and the gate at the bottom of the mountain has a chain and padlock on it.
Signs have been put up, warning people not to use the road.
The skifield has an estimated snowbase of 1m, believed to be the biggest snowfall at this time of year since 1995.
Earlier blizzard conditions and snowdrifts of up to 2m had made access to the mountain difficult and staff were working just to keep the access road and the main snowcat tracks open, Mr Husband said.
Cardrona is scheduled to open on June 26.
At Treble Cone, the snowbase was well below the base building and staff were doing avalanche-control work yesterday.
Avalanche controller Gordon Smith could not be contacted yesterday.
Treble Cone staff have reported over 1m of snow mid-mountain and "thigh-deep" snow in the car park.
Trail grooming has commenced and snowmaking will resume next week in preparation for the scheduled June 27 opening.
Sam Lee, of Snow Park NZ, on the Pisa Range, said the storms had brought the biggest snowbase he had seen at this time of year.
"This give us a great head-start and snowmaking will be even more effective, allowing us to open all facilities as scheduled on 4 July," he said.
Lake Wanaka Tourism general manager James Helmore said the town was buzzing in anticipation of an excellent season.
"It looks like midwinter now and it's only May. Having so much snow this early provides a hugely positive start to the season, which helps everybody from retailers to the skifields themselves."
Wanaka Inland Auto owners Barry and Sue Bruce said their forward rental-car bookings were high and things were looking positive for the winter season.
At least one farmer in the Cardrona Valley was caught out by the weekend's heavy snow dumps and has spent the past two days snow-raking on the Pisa Range to find sheep still on higher ground.
