Conditions Report
Weather
Since the start of August the snow has been consistently falling in small waves up and down New Zealand. July had minimal snowfall across the whole country, with one dump at the beginning and another at the end of the month.
So far this month, there has been nearly one snowfall per week, allowing for more fields and terrain to open up. Mt Hutt has the highest recorded snow accumulation, boasting an upper mountain base of 174 centimetres (68 inches). Mt Dobson and Treble Cone both have 120 centimeters (47 inches) on the upper mountain, and Ohau has 90 centimeters (35 inches) on both the upper and lower mountain.
Prior to August, there were still several club fields that had not opened for business yet such as Mt Olympus, Temple Basin, Craigieburn, Broken River, Hanmer Springs, Mt Cheeseman, and Mt Lyford. In the last week, all seven of these fields opened for winter, with fantastic skiing for everyone.
With the consistent snowfall across the country in August, the backcountry travel has picked up. Over the weekend, there were four seperate human-triggered avalanches in two different regions, two of them in the Canterbury Region and two more at Turoa Ski field. Luckily no one was injured or hurt but it comes as a timely reminder of the persistent weak layer hiding in the snowpack. Be careful in the coming weeks and make sure to check the NZ Avalanche Advisory for forecasts and any new information regarding avalanches.
Moving forward, there is a large storm set to hit the country over the weekend and clearing by Tuesday next week. Mid-week skiing will be all-time at the ski fields. Below are the estimated amounts on Snow Forecast for each ski field.
Otago
Cardrona: 5 centimetres (1.9 inches)
Treble Cone: 4 centimetres (1.5 inches)
Coronet Peak: 7 centimetres (2.7 inches)
Remarkables: 8 centimetres (3.1 inches)
Canterbury
Mt Hutt: 20 centimetres (7.8 inches)
Dobson: 3 centimetres (1.1 inches)
Lyford: 8 centimetres (3.1 inches)
Ohau: 3 centimetres (1.1 inches)
Porters: 13 centimetres (5.1 inches)
Roundhill: 1 centimetre (0.3 inches)
Broken River: 15 centimetres (5.9 inches)
Craigieburn: 14 centimetres (5.5 inches)
Cheeseman: 16 centimetres (6.2 inches)
Temple Basin: 19 centimetres (7.4 inches)
Olympus: 13 centimetres (5.1 inches)
Fox Peak: 3 centimetres (1.1 inches)
Nelson Lakes
Rainbow: 20 centimetres (7.8 inches)
Hanmer Springs: 9 centimetres (3.5 inches)
Tongariro National Park
Whakapapa : 25 centimetres (9.8 inches)
Turoa: 27 centimetres (10.6 inches)
August is proving to be the month New Zealand needed after a dry July.
All ski fields are now open across the country and all peaks are covered. To finish August off, the Winter Games Begin next week on August 23, athletes from all around the world have come to compete in alpine racing, freestyle, and freeride. Snowbrains will be providing full coverage of the Winter Games with daily updates on scores and events.
