Mt Hutt to open as temperatures drop, snow forecast

Canterbury’s Mt Hutt ski area has confirmed its opening day for the 2016 season will be tomorrow (Saturday June 11).

Bouncing back from a weather pattern that delivered winds of up to 180kph and forced the postponement of its scheduled opening day today, ski area manager James McKenzie says Mother Nature is finally coming back to the snow party.

“Yes we have lost some snow over the past four days, but on our main trails the snow is holding up reasonably ok,” he says.

“The forecast for opening day tomorrow is looking better by the hour, with winds decreasing overnight. We can’t wait for skiers and boarders to come up to celebrate opening with us, enjoying the first day of the season to come.”

Mt Hutt will open with main trails operating from the top of the mountain to the base area, although with limited terrain. Lifts operating will include the Summit Six and Quad chair, and the Magic Carpet for the beginners’ area.

McKenzie said weather for the weekend was “looking positive” with snow forecast from mid-afternoon on Sunday through to late evening.

“That might deliver a good covering of snow, but the best news will be cooler temperatures so we can fire up our snowmaking guns again.”

Opening day celebrations will include ‘First on the Chair’ T-shirts for lucky skiers and boarders aiming for those first tracks, and Amisfield bubbles for all.

Passes, lessons and rentals can all be booked at www.nzski.com which also features detailed daily updates and live webcams showing snow and weather conditions.

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