Two months into the southern hemisphere's 2023 ski season, Mt Ruapehu in New Zealand has posted the world's deepest snowpack at an open ski area.
The resort's Tūroa ski area hit 255cm (102") on Thursday, overtaking Switzerland's Saas-Fee which has been posting 250cm (100") since it opened for its 23-23 ski season a month ago.
Prior to that small glacier ski areas had been posting 3-4 metre bases, but that snow cover melted away quite quickly and all but one of the centres, it's base now down to q1.5 metres, has closed.
Until recently most ski areas in New Zealand's South Island had been struggling with warmer than average temperatures and limited cover, however Mt Ruapehu has been reporting what it says have been great snow conditions all winter.
Ironically though until recently the resort has only been able to open limited terrain due to issues finding staff to dig out and operate lifts because the resort had not know if it would be able to operate at all this year with it's operators going into administration following difficult years with the pandemic then little snowfall last winter. So there was a rush to recruit staff last minute when a temporary funding rescue package was announced by the New Zealand government.
The snowfall now should be good news for the southern hemisphere spring 2023 skiing with Mt Ruapehu's Tūroa and neighbouring Whakapapa often the last open, operating into late October and sometimes "Snowvember" in good snow years.