Cloud Seeding Wreaks Havoc Over SE Australia

Unnamed and unreliable sources claim that a malfunction in the cloud seeding machines has resulted in widespread snowfalls below 800m over much of southeastern Australia. You will have seen much of this on the TV over the past 2 nights.

Now I’ve had my little fun let’s get down the serious reporting. There have been complaints about the lack of reports coming out of Thredbo. The reasons are many. Firstly I had an equipment failure last Tuesday that resulted in a groin strain and left me off the mountain all week apart from one run on Friday. Having a metal riser plate snap in two on boilerplate snow is not a nice thing to happen.

Conditions all week were generally sunny with boilerplate. Great for the school races but not so good for everyone else. Even the off piste remained hard and bumped up. Friday night we had snow. Initially it was very dry snow and by Saturday morning we had about 10cm of light and dry sitting on top of concrete. It snowed all weekend and by Sunday with wet snow falling the new snow was beginning to soften hard base. We had freezing fog both Sunday and this morning but today’s groomers were superb. I estimate about 35cm fell over the weekend up top, less in the village.

The Kareela Hutte Opening Party on Friday was the best I have ever attended and thanks to Sonja and her crew as well as Andy and Mark who put on great entertainment.

I took very few photos over the weekend due not wanting to expose my camera or my hands to the freezing fog. Temps stayed below –6 all weekend. Wind-chills were in the high -20C range. The roads were chaotic and chains were required much of the time. There is still snow in the village but the roads, although wet, are clear.

SouthCare helicopter earlier last week

Bumps on the Bluff last week

Holiday crowds on High Noon last week

Snow in the village yesterday

Milk run first thing this morning

Terrain parks gone beneath mid station but I’m informed one is to be rebuilt

Iced Ramshead chairs above a great cover at the bottom of the mountain

Snowmaking above Lover’s Leap station this morning

Jackie gets a free ride top to bottom

I had further delays this morning when skiing with a good friend and a simple fall resulted in a free sled ride from Cannonball to the surgery. Jackie is in good spirits and up and walking in a knee brace. Torn cartilage, which jammed in her knee, has been shifted and a few days rest will determine whether a ligament has also been torn.

Forecast is for fine weather. The cover is great. The snow guns have added heaps each night and the school holidays are over. Currently it is cold and calm with clear blue skies.