Mt Hutt, NZ, Could Reopen After A Meter Of Spring Snow; Early Snows Hit Pakistan; Alaska's Record-Breaking October Snowfall; + Fanaticism, Wrapped In Green

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Mt Hutt, NZ, Could Reopen After A Meter Of Spring Snow

A rare, heavy dumping of snow over the weekend has left New Zealand's Mt Hutt ski field covered in nearly a meter (3.3 feet) of fresh powder, sparking talks about a potential late-season reopening.

The unexpected storm delivered severe weather to much of the country, with the South Island experiencing particularly intense snow. Mt Hutt saw one of the heaviest October snowfalls on record, even more impressive when you consider its nearly November.

Ski area manager, James McKenzie, shared the remarkable conditions with Morning Report, calling it "one of the biggest snowfalls in October" he’d witnessed in his 20 years on the mountain.

"It would have been perfect to get this snow back in June," said McKenzie, speaking to the unusual timing. And although the ski field did recently close up shop for the season, there were hints of a potential reopening: "We wouldn’t rule anything out," McKenzie added, though he stressed they would first need to ensure safe access to the field after such a heavy accumulation.

Currently, snow drifts of up to five meters (16.4 feet) blanket parts of the access road, complicated by avalanche debris that workers must first navigate and then clear before any late-season skiing might resume.

Blocked access roads at Mt Hutt -- 5 meter snow drifts.

Despite the challenges, McKenzie expressed that this rare, late-season snowfall presents a unique opportunity for the ski field and for snow sports enthusiasts eager to catch a few more runs before the year ends -- well into November.

Early Snows Hit Pakistan

Upper Kaghan Valley, located in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, experienced an unusually early snowfall on Tuesday, cutting off traffic between KP and Gilgit-Baltistan via the key Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad (MNJ) Road.