Extra police have been deployed to the snowfields this weekend ahead of Saturday's much-anticipated opening of the snow season and the King's Birthday long weekend.
Thousands of people will head to the snowfields this weekend for the traditional season start despite a less than ideal start and police have warned that double demerits are now in place across NSW and the ACT for the long weekend.
The high-visibility Operation Snowsafe will send extra police resources to Jindabyne and surrounds.
Visitors to the snowfields "can expect to see officers from general duties, the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, Southern Region Enforcement Squad, licensing police and other specialist officers - including trained alpine operators - throughout the season", NSW police said.
NSW Southern Region Commander Peter Cotter said while the slopes were yet to see heavy snowfalls, police would be out and about throughout the snow season targeting road safety, anti-social behaviour and personal safety.
"Our officers will be targeting any risky behaviour on local and arterial roads and alcohol-related crime in the local venues, as well as ensuring those on and around the mountain have taken the right precautions," Assistant Commissioner Cotter said.
"Those headed to the snow over the coming weeks and months should take extra care and exercise appropriate caution on the roads, to make sure everyone arrives here - and back home again - safely."
The Jindabyne area police stations, including Perisher and Thredbo, received $13 million in NSW government funding for new accommodation to solve the problem in housing the influx of police during the snow season.
This weekend has the free Peak Music Festival at Perisher, a non-ticketed event across seven stages while Thredbo has a range of season-opening events including a fireworks display on Saturday night.
Last year's bumper season, which brought heavy snowfalls this time last year and was described as the best in 20 years, attracted such big crowds that during weekends the Perisher car park was regularly filled by 9am and people had to be turned back at the Alpine Way turn-off to prevent a parking logjam.
Some snow has fallen intermittently in the mountains over the past few days, with 8cm in Perisher overnight on Thursday and more falling on Friday morning.
Snow-making has been underway at the resorts. Perisher has opened a skier conveyor at the base of Front Valley but the rest of the lifts are on hold pending further snowfalls.
Mt Selwyn is set to reopen on June 10 for the first time since it was decimated in the Black Summer bushfires. The family-focused resort has a toboggan park, restored chairlifts for the ski runs, plus a new cafe and ski-hire centre.
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