Over the last seven days about 2.3 metres of snow has fallen on Rainbow, with heaviest snowfall from Wednesday through to Thursday morning when about 50cm fell during a 24 hour period. This snow has consolidated into a base of 1.3 metres, with deeper drifts in many places. We now have complete coverage over the entire field and you can look forward to some awesome skiing and riding over the next few weeks.


Lower Mountain Thursday Afternoon

So much snow has been moved around by the wind during this storm that we have quite a bit of control work and digging out to do before the field can re-open. So we are targeting a Saturday opening at this stage. We will be doing control work during Friday on and above the access road and on the field, and continuing access road clearance. Field staff will also be digging out the tows, most of which have been buried to some extent, and the buildings.

The good news is that we expect the temperatures to remain very cold with light winds on Friday, so the snow should stay in perfect condition for the weekend. The forecast for the weekend is also for fine weather, lights winds and cool temperatures.

Some things to know if you're coming up this weekend. You will probably have to fit chains if you want to drive up the access road (check the snow report on Saturday for the decision on this), so if you don't have chains you'll need to get some or take the Shuttle instead. Chains hire and retailers can be found here. Please do not stop on the access road on the way up, other than at the designated chains fitting stations.

We will be carrying out control work within the ski area boundary on Friday, however some areas of the field may still be closed at the weekend due to risk. Do not put your own safety and the safety of others at risk by entering a closed or roped off area - we will take breaches of this very seriously. Similarly, the avalanche risk in the backcountry beyond our boundary is currently high so we recommend that you stay within the ski area boundary until the risk moderates. You can view the Nelson Lakes backcountry advisory here.

This storm has set up Rainbow with a great base for the season, so you can probably look forward to a few months of epic skiing and riding. If you haven't purchased a season pass or multiday pass yet it's not too late to do so - you can purchase both types of pass online here or at the Ticket Office at the field. If you are planning to come up for the school holidays we will be open every day that weather permits (looking good at this stage) with all facilities operating - Snow School, Ski & Snowboard Rentals, Cafe, and Shuttles. we are again offering the Holiday 5-Pack for school age children, and don't forget there is now also a shuttle service from St Arnaud to the field and return each day if you don't want to drive up.