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Blue skies and groomed pistes
There may not be a whole lot of snow down under, but they're making
the most of it in Thredbo where 20cm has fallen up high, and the
snow guns have been working overtime. These pictures are from the
Walkabout at the Cruiser, and there are even fresh tracks to be
had.
Friday Flat is open for snow riding - the ideal
place to practice your turns. The Kosciuszko Express Chairlift is
open from 9.00am to 4.00pm for scenic tourist rides to the top of
Thredbo. Snow is forecast for today, then brightening up again at
the end of the week throughout the region.
More snow on the way - with a little help
"The Lord can see into our hearts," Father Peter Miller told those
gathered at Thredbo's Mary MacKillop Chapel yesterday, "and he knows
we would like that big dump sooner rather than later." Bare slopes
rose above the Blessing of the Snow ceremony that is held to mark
the start of the ski season, and the only skiing was taking place
on a small patch of man-made snow. "We can give thanks to God for
sharing his wisdom with us. We have finally discovered the principles
that have always been in Creation to be able to make snow."
With year-to-year variability in snowfall of up to 300 per cent,
skiing has long been an unreliable pastime. Now a CSIRO study predicts
average temperatures will rise between 0.2 and 1 degrees by 2020,
further reducing snow cover. To make sure the Snowy Mountains keep
living up to their name, man will play God there this winter like
never before with the start of a six-year cloud-seeding experiment.
Hampered by low dam levels, Snowy Hydro has been lobbying for the
trial for several years so it can get more water for electricity
generation and irrigation. Snowfalls are expected to increase by
about 10 per cent of the long-term average, providing resorts with
an extra 15 centimetres a year.
Remote control snowfall
When the right weather pattern sweeps in from the west in the next
few weeks, 12 propane burners hidden in the high country will be
ignited by remote control. Their 900 degree flames will waft silver
iodide into the clouds to stimulate the growth of ice crystals that
will fall as snow. The managing director of Snowy Hydro, Terry Charlton,
said about 20 seedings were planned for this winter, aimed at "post-frontal"
clouds that usually pass over without dumping snow. While seeding
could slightly extend ski seasons, on-ground snow making would "still
be far more important to a successful season".
Thredbo, with 25 per cent of its 480 hectares covered
by snow making, claims it has the most extensive snow-making facilities
in the southern hemisphere. The resort's $15 million system boasts
220 guns along 10 kilometres of runs. In perfect conditions, 110
guns can be running at a time and make enough snow to turn a grass
slope into a ski run overnight. The resort plans to spend another
$6 million so the snow-making machines turn themselves on automatically
when the right conditions develop - something that would triple
snow production.
Nice large system
As for God's work, which late yesterday included
mere rain, the long-range forecast on the SnoWatch website says
a "nice large system" is developing that should drop some "significant"
snow around June 20.
[Pictures: Threbo.com.au]
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