Weather watch: Where's the snow?

Skiers and snowboarders have a lot to worry about at the moment as our nation's ski resorts remain mostly natural snow free. Photo / Hawke's Bay Today

Skiers and snowboarders have a lot to worry about at the moment as our nation's ski resorts remain mostly natural snow free.

In particular North Island ski fields are looking especially bad at the moment with no significant snow on the way.

In fact, the rest of May looks warm for the North Island with rainy events and northerlies returning at least two more times before the month is out - it's starting to look like the beginning of La Nina, which brings warmer, wetter, winters to northern New Zealand.

Whakapapa isn't expected to open until the end of June and with almost no snow in the next 10 days the snow making machines will be busy at night ... just hope the highs in the mid to upper single digits don't melt what is made during the day.

It's looking just as bad over on Mt Taranaki where only a small amount of snow sits on the top. Highly unusual for this time of the year say locals.

The South Island is colder, but conditions are drier. Following the onslaught of warm, rainy, northerlies last month the island is now being affected by cold, but fairly dry, high pressure systems.

While the North Island gets the rain it appears highs will dominate around the lower part of New Zealand. This is good for snow making facilities operating in the south - it means ski fields can produce snow at night and then lower daytime temperatures should keep it there.

Coronet Peak is due to open June 5th with the others opening in the week or so afterwards.

But while the highs remain dominant south of New Zealand it means bitterly cold, wintry, blasts can't make it north.

I think some northern centres will have record breaking or record challenging warmth this month... the mornings are certainly getting cooler but still, I'm not freezing at night yet at my home in Auckland.

The South Island is colder - Christchurch has had some very cold days lately with low cloud, drizzle and miserable daytime temperatures. But this isn't snow making weather.

Of course, winter hasn't even officially started yet - so a warm start doesn't mean a short early end. Let's see where the weather patterns take us - and fingers crossed the ski fields have a late end date to match their late start dates.