11 June 2004

Mt Ruapehu, Turoa & Whakapapa
The cold southwest front that swept New Zealand over the weekend has blanketed Mt Ruapehu in snow as low down as the Grand Chateau in Whakapapa Village and the 6km mark on the Turoa Mountain Road. Mt Ruapehu Ski Areas received 30 cm of new snow on the upper mountain and 15 cm at the base area of both Whakapapa and Turoa.

Snowmaking commenced on Monday at both ski areas. Conditions have been perfect for snowmaking and the snow guns have been running continuously since Monday morning in Happy Valley and on the Rockgarden at Whakapapa. Snowmaking facilities at Turoa were extended to the Wintergarden over summer and were put to the test for the first time on Monday, performing well. Turoa is set to open on June 18 with the High Flyer, Movenpick and Alpine Meadow lifts operating, conditions permitting. Whakapapa is scheduled to open the following week on June 25.
[Source: Snowco.nz]

25 tonnes of snow in Melbourne
Winter arrived at Federation Square this week while the rest of Melbourne enjoyed fine weather. About 25 tonnes of fresh snow was dumped at the square to mark the beginning of an $800,000 campaign to entice visitors to Victoria's snowfields.
[Source: Herald Sun]

Mt Hutt first Australasian resort to open
The promise of their first run of the season brought some keen snowsports lovers from around the South Island to the opening of Canterbury’s Mt Hutt ski area last Monday 7 June. “As soon as people heard we were opening they jumped in their cars and made their way to Mt Hutt just to be here,” said Mt Hutt manager Dave Wilson.

“There were lots of people who were extremely keen to be the first on the quad lift for 2004, but that’s pretty committed.” For their efforts, Brendan Cameron, Brendon Andrew and Jim Brewster, all from Queenstown, and Rangiora’s Blair Harris all won coveted ‘First on the Chair 2004’ T-shirts and a bottle of Lindauer bubbly. There was a loud cheer and applause as they sat on the first chairlift going up the mountain at 9am this morning, making Mt Hutt the first ski area in Australasia to open for the 2004 season.S
[Source: Snowco.nz]

South Africa
The first snow of the season has fallen on the peaks surrounding Barkly East in the Eastern Cape, almost three months later than last year. More snowfalls were also expected on the high ground of the Eastern Cape and Lesotho towards the end of the week.

Weather forecasters said "The immediate reason for the snow was because the various weather systems required for snow had not come together. This nice cold system was the first one of the season where all the elements came nicely together". The next "good one" is already on its way and should make landfall over Cape Town just in time for the start of the weekend.
[Source: Sapa]

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