Good snowfalls get season underway

The best start to a snow season in a decade should have all of Australia's major ski
fields up and running by the weekend.
Extensive snowfalls this week have created a good base at all the major NSW and
Victorian ski resorts with more snow due over the next two days.
Snowmaking machines will also be enhancing the natural cover.
The heaviest fall in either state in the past 24 hours has been at the Victorian
cross country venue at Lake Mountain, where only three months ago the state's deadly
bushfires had ravaged the landscape.
Some 40cm has fallen at Lake Mountain and all cross country trails are open.
Of the main downhill locations, the Victorian resorts of Mount Buller and Falls
Creek had registered the highest falls, each receiving around 25cm in the 24 hours
to 5pm (AEST) on Wednesday.
Falls Creek had an average cover of 44cm with one lift open, and Mt Buller had 56cm
on the ground, where six lifts are due to roll on Friday.
Two lifts operated on Wednesday at Mt Hotham where there was an average cover of
around 40cm.
In NSW, one lift operated at Thredbo on Wednesday with 10cm of fresh snow bringing
the overall cover to around 50cm, but the slopes remained officially closed to the
public.
Perisher had two lifts in action with one run open but snow falls throughout the day
have made prospects of a more extensive opening likely later this week.
Snowmaking will add to the cover in all resorts with a new front expected to cross
the Alps from Friday.