Australia's ski resorts have little or no natural snow yet, but locals say that's no indication of what conditions will be like this winter.
"It's very early and we've still got the entire winter season to go, and the snow will arrive, the storms will come through, we'll be making snow as much as we can at every opportunity," Perisher sales and marketing manager Richard Phillips says.
"It's still only early June and some years we've had fantastic snow at this time of year and other years not so much but … good or bad snow this time of year doesn't mean that's what it's going to be for the entire winter," Phillips says.
The official launch of the Australian ski season is on Saturday; however, resort webcams in NSW and Victoria show most slopes are covered in grass, with a small amount of snow being made on main trails.
It's not, however, dampening the spirits of locals.
"The general vibe is pretty good as people are excited about the upcoming winter," Phillips says.
"I think when there's not great snow to kick off the season, people can get a little bit nervous, but it happens from time to time.
"The conditions at this time of year are often not a good indication of the conditions that we're going to have for the remainder of the winter season."
Mount Buller assistant ski patrol manager Ed Mahon agrees, saying present conditions are not unusual for the start of winter.
It's important, he says, for people to realise the June long weekend has arrived early this year.
The resorts have also experienced the same warm spell as the rest of southeastern Australia.
"We've just had this warm May (and) there's every chance we could break cold records for June or July," Mahon says.
For the Snowy Mountains, the Bureau of Meteorology is predicting isolated showers, falling as snow above 1500m on Saturday, while conditions are similar in the Victorian Alps, with a mix of showers and snow.
Mount Hotham Resort brand manager Connie Lurger says with current freezing temperatures in Victoria, the forecast indicates there might be some snow this weekend, with the chance to also make snow.
"So we are hoping that Mother Nature comes through for us and lends a helping hand," Lurger says.
At Perisher in NSW, Phillips also expects natural snow and good opportunities for snow making.
"The minute we've got enough snow to open lifts, we will," he says.
"We're working as hard as we can every day, and as soon as there's enough snow to offer skiing and boarding for our guests, we'll be opening lifts."
Mahon expects snow guns to be switched on at Mount Buller this weekend and says by the look of the forecast, he would be surprised if they did not see some natural snow.
Light snow conditions during past opening weekends have forced ski resorts to focus on festivals featuring live music.
Snow or not, Mahon says, there's always a great vibe.
"It's such a fun and positive weekend," he says. "No one will be sitting around scratching their heads, lamenting the fact that it hasn't snowed yet because people who come regularly aren't surprised that there isn't any snow."
A scan of the webcams dotted around the various resorts in NSW and Victoria confirm there is little or no snow to speak of, with conditions unlikely to greatly improve anytime soon.
The Bureau of Meteorology says there is potential for "a little more than snow dust" to arrive this Friday with snow expected above 1200 metres.
The bureau has blamed the lack of snow on unusually warm weather with Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide recording their longest stretch of warm autumn days on record.
