The start to the 2022 ski season has been described as the best in more than 20 years, with the Thredbo alpine resort preparing for a huge opening weekend after 125cm of snow fell over the past seven days.
Snow was still falling at Thredbo on Tuesday afternoon, with the village described as "looking picture perfect" after some 40cm of coverage.
Thredbo's mountain operations teams have been working long hours in preparation for the opening weekend, which will be celebrated with an illumination show and fireworks on Saturday night, June 11.
All sides of the mountain are expected to be open and linked via the Catwalk and Sundowner trails.
Australia's longest run at 3.7km, the Thredbo Supertrail will be groomed and ready for skiing and boarding, with access off Kosciuszko chairlift. Friday Flat also has a great coverage for beginners.
"We're all very excited up here, it's been snowing for a week and it's still coming down," Thredbo's marketing manager Caroline Brauer said.
"We believe this is the best start to the snow season since the year 2000 but if it keeps on snowing, then this could break even more records."
Roads to the village have been kept open and clear but visitors will be cautioned to ensure they bring chains for their vehicle - and know how to fit them if instructed to do so.
Lift tickets for the weekend were still available online via the Thredbo site on Tuesday but are selling fast. The resort caps the number of lift tickets sold. A one-day adult lift pass for the opening day at Thredbo is priced at $179.
Across at Perisher, there has been 60cm of snow fall on the resort since Monday.
The big falls of early season snow encouraged Perisher to open early on June 4. Four lifts leading to groomed runs are currently in operation, depending on weather conditions.
On Tuesday, it was -3.4 degrees in the village at Perisher. Road conditions up to the Perisher carpark have been described as very challenging and chains are compulsory.
The skitube alpine railway will open this Friday for the first time this season.
To celebrate the long weekend and the opening of the full resort, Perisher is staging the Peak Music Festival with more than a dozen artists, with shows at Smiggins, the Jax Bar, the Eiger and the Man from Snowy River on Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
An adult day lift ticket at Perisher on Saturday was listed online at $184.
Mt Selwyn, with completely new infrastructure installed since the Black Summer bushfires destroyed the buildings and lifts, will reopen on July 2.
A succession of cold fronts moving across all alpine and mountain areas has also affected road conditions in the ACT.
Canberra motorists have been advised that heavy snow and potentially dangerous road conditions in the Brindabellas has forced the closure of Mt Franklin Road to all traffic.
Road ACT has advised that Brindabella Road is also closed to all traffic except 4WD vehicles.
