Thredbo staff have woken to the first flurries of snow on Mount Kosciusko on Thursday, with reports temperatures lingered around zero in the alps until midday.
While only a light dusting fell on the region, the first snow spells the start of the countdown for skiers and snowboards around the region.
Set to kick off on June 11, the ski season will likely be one of the busiest for the Snowy Mountains, with so many enthusiasts missing out last year due to COVID lockdowns.
People in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong were subject to stay-at-home orders from June 26 last year, forced to forfeit expensive lift passes.
Canberrans had the slopes mostly to themselves almost to season's end, until COVID forced the ACT into lockdown on August 12.
Caroline Brauer, Thredbo Marketing Manager, said they expected high demand this season after the challenges of the past two winters.
"The Thredbo team is already busy preparing the slopes and everything that goes into a busy winter season," she said.
Ms Brauer said Thredbo couldn't wait to welcome guests back to the mountains for what would hopefully be a bumper season.
"Seeing the first snow on the ground for the season is exciting each and every year," she said.
"It brings so much energy and excitement to everyone in the village. You can literally feel the anticipation in the air."
Jake Phillips, the Bureau of Meteorology forecaster, said there was the possibility of more snow above 1000 metres in the alpine region on Saturday and Sunday.
"I wouldn't expect they'll see a wide coverage on the ground. Because we've had pretty warm weather recently, a lot of what falls is going to melt fairly quickly," he said.
Cooma was forecast for a -3 degree morning on Friday and -2 degrees on Saturday morning, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Mr Phillips said Cooma could expect frosty conditions without the snow.
"The air is a bit too dry in that part of the world," Mr Phillips said. "But it will be cold, particularly in the mornings."
Canberra's cold snap was likely to continue into the weekend too, with a top of 13 degrees forecast for Friday and Saturday.
Opening weekend will be marked at Thredbo with the return of live music this year, with a concert venue set up on June 11. Details of opening weekend events are listed online.
