The snow may have come a week or so late, but the timing's perfect for school holiday skiing.
With the snowy top of Ruapehu visible from vantage points around Napier and Hastings yesterday, Hawke's Bay Ski Club secretary Craig Kenny said as schools closed for the two weeks of July holidays: "It's fantastic. It's arrived. It couldn't have come at a better time."
The club operates a 37-berth lodge ideally situated at the Top O' the Bruce, 50 metres from the chairlift, and Mr Kenny said: "We're a member-driven club, and we want it to be used."
Whakapapa opens today, with 80cm of snow having fallen on Thursday, when the season opened at Turoa.
Chateau Tongariro Hotel duty manager Chiquita Rowe said the hotel was prepared for the busy winter months to come. "It has been hectic, everyone is coming in for their snow experience, it's brilliant."
Snow on the Kaweka and Ruahine ranges yesterday provided a deceptive outlook from Napier and Hastings with Glen Ross Rd farmer Craig Sinclair saying that while some snow fell on the farm close to the Kawekas on Thursday it was "short-lived and gone by midday. "From town it probably looks like a lot more," he said.
Temperatures in Napier and Hastings yesterday peaked at just over 13C, and were forecast to be up to 18C today, with showers spreading from the south tonight, with strong strong westerlies south of Napier, reverting to cooler but mainly fine weather tomorrow.