Snow Farm sales manager Pip Gillespie said the skifield had its best day of the season to date yesterday after getting more than 20cm of ''light, dry, powdery'' snow.
It was also well-timed, with the cross-country skiing area to celebrate its 30th anniversary on Saturday with a formal lunch and a series of on-mountain events.
Ms Gillespie said several hundred visitors were enjoying the conditions yesterday, including members of the New Zealand biathlon team, the Finnish and Chinese cross-country teams and more than 100 children from Wanaka's Mount Aspiring College.
Across the valley at Cardrona Alpine Resort, general manager Bridget Legnavsky said 23cm fell across the mountain. There were metre-high wind drifts in places.
Ms Legnavsky said the snow came as a relief, because it would help convince the doubters about the quality of skiing at the ski area, which had been ''fantastic'' since it opened in June.
''It's a bit more visual and obvious to everyone.''
The snowfall had enabled lower parts of the skifield and off-piste areas to be opened up, and would allow staff to get the half-pipe up and running.
Treble Cone general manager Toby Arnott said he was ''absolutely stoked'' by the 30cm of snow that had fallen at the top of the mountain.
It was ''looking good'' for more with a southerly storm expected to arrive tomorrow afternoon.
Coronet Peak ski area manager Nigel Kerr said 16cm of ''good, cold and dry'' snow fell between 2pm and midnight on Tuesday, and the cold temperatures were allowing its snowmaking team to keep making more.
A series of cold southerly fronts forecast for the next few days were likely to bring more snow, Mr Kerr said.
The Remarkables ski area manager Ross Lawrence said it had got 13cm over the same period.
Although fine weather was expected today, another southerly was expected to arrive either tonight or tomorrow.
He was hopeful the ski area could get another 30cm by Tuesday.
The Crown Range road between Arrow Junction and Cardrona village reopened at 7am yesterday after a brief closure.
The Lindis Pass road remained open overnight Tuesday despite snowy and icy conditions, but the Danseys Pass road was closed because of snow and ice.
Residents in some parts of the Maniototo awoke to snow yesterday morning.
An Otago Daily Times staff member said a dusting could be seen in places beside State Highway 85 between Omakau and Becks.
Towards Ranfurly, from St Bathans through to Idaburn and Wedderburn, paddocks and hills were covered, and snow lay in some depth around Naseby township.
