A fair amount of snow in the forecast will be good news to skiers and snowboarders eyeing the opening of Cardrona this Saturday (June 15) as well as Treble Cone and the Snow Farm at the end of the month. 

A weather system heading for the South Island on Thursday (June 13) is likely to bring snow to Wānaka’s alpine areas in the coming days to follow last night’s dusting, MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said.

“On Thursday and into Friday, and possibly into the weekend as well, there is a possibility of snow, which will mostly be in the more elevated areas,” she told the Wānaka App.

The “quite large” weather system is expected to hit the South Island on Thursday.

It is expected to bring rain showers at a lower altitude but they will be periodic, with “waves of wet weather”, Mmathapelo said.

According to Cardrona Alpine Resort’s laser sensor there is currently 40cm of snow at 1800m.

A statement from the company said the Cardrona team has increased snowmaking capacity for early-season confidence. 

Though the snowfall will be welcome, at this stage the forecast is for less than ideal conditions for Cardrona’s opening day.

Treble Cone was waiting for snow yesterday. PHOTO: Wānaka App

“On Saturday the first part of the day does look like it could be a bit rainy but the afternoon could see a bit of a break in that rain,” Mmathapelo said, emphasising that it could change before open day arrives.

Mmathapelo said the same weather system could also bring more fresh snow next week.

“It is looking like it will hang around for quite a while so there may be some more snow from that system,” she said. 

It’s still “a little too far out” to forecast how snow levels will look at Treble Cone at the end of the month, Mmathapelo said.

A statement from Cardrona Alpine Resort (Treble Cone’s parent company) said the focus for Treble Cone was on season reliability, with “even more” snowmaking on the main arterial route of the home basin, Triple Treat.

Treble Cone is scheduled to open on June 29, and the Snow Farm the day before (June 28).

Mmathapelo said an added bonus of the incoming weather system is it is likely to prevent an inversion layer from forming in the Upper Clutha in the next week or two.

“We have this quite active weather system moving through, which is something that does tend to break down any inversion layer,” she said.

Later in winter, on the other hand, is still up in the air. “It is that time of year.”