'Phenomenal' snow dump in Canterbury a skier's dream

The big dig-out was underway at ski fields all over Canterbury on Tuesday, after a storm brought more than a metre of snow.

The flurry buried buildings, closed access roads, and created a frenzy for snow-mad locals.

Concealed underneath a snow bank was a seven-foot shipping container, with only one way in for the staff who work inside - using a shovel.

Mt Hutt staff member Greg Young said the perks of the job were "living in an igloo, I guess".

Thomas Mead reports from Mt Hutt.
Thomas Mead reports from Mt Hutt. Photo credit: Newshub.

The clean-up stretched far and wide after Monday's storm, at one point dropping two metres of snow on the mountain top.

At the base, crews were busy with shovels, clearinglifts, pathways and access to buildings.

The three metre base of snow is the largest since 2009.

"Personally, I don't remember the mountain looking this great," Mt Hutt ski area manager James McKenzie said.

'Phenomenal' snow dump in Canterbury a skier's dream
Photo credit: Newshub.

"There's buildings and huts buried that I've never seen buried before, so we're looking at a phenomenal amount of snow."

Higher up, a bomb crew in a chopper threw explosives down into the snow, setting off controlled avalanches, and keeping the slopes safe.

Skiers on the mountains were in their element - the snow being the hard-to-come by type, having fallen without any wind making it light, dry and fluffy.

While some spent the day digging themselves out of the powder, others called it the best day of the season, and had the rides of their lives.

Newshub.