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AZUZ: Moving north from Taiwan to where the 2018 Olympic Winter Games are just a day away. It's cold. Pyeongchang, South Korea, is surrounded by mountains. The forecast for the day of the opening ceremonies predicts high temperatures will be around 42 degrees Fahrenheit, but a plunge to the 20s during the day and the teens at night follows, before things warm up a little next week.

This could be one of the coldest Winter Olympics in history. The "Reuters" news agency says in training runs, extremely cold snow has warped some athletes' skis, forcing coaches to throw them away. You'd think that this means there'd be plenty of natural snow on the ground, but February is a very dry month at Pyeongchang.

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Snowmaking started earlier in South Korea this season. October saw the first artificial snow hit the ski slopes and it hasn't stopped since.

Pyeongchang certainly doesn't have the same problem that Sochi in Russia had four years ago. Any natural snow that falls here is going to say on the ground. It is cold enough. But the issue is, there's just simply not that much natural snow. After all, winter in Korea is the dry season.

Ian Honey is the project manager for SMI Snowmakers. His company has already made snow for five Winter Olympics. He started preparing for Pyeongchang three years ago.

IAN HONEY, SMI SNOWMAKERS: Here, it's all 100 percent manmade snow. And as I said, we've had great temperatures. We've been very lucky.

HANCOCKS: So, none of this is natural snow then.

HONEY: Yes, 98 percent of the — manmade.

HANCOCKS: This has been the scene for months in Pyeongchang, mountainsides, rock and mist of manmade snow. So, how do you actually make it?

HONEY: We're doing very similar to what Mother Nature does. We're taking water and we're forcing it into the atmosphere and we're getting — we're generating a crystallize structure. But the structure that we'll generate is a more consistent structure. Basically, they're all the same, where natural snow is... every flake is different.

HANCOCKS: Tourists don't seem to mind the snow is manmade, enjoying the last peaceful day on the slopes before the games begin. As for which is better, natural or artificial, these two ski instructors say there's no contest.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Artificial snow is good for skiing more than because we can more — speeding. They're really good.

HANCOCKS: And speed is what Olympic athletes want. We'll no doubt hear soon enough whether they approve of Pyeongchang's snow.

There have been some heavy snowfalls in recent months. A few weeks ago, there was a rush to preserve the snow after it fell, carving it into massive blocks. We now see why as the snow festival opens, massive sculptures towering over children who are more interested in the snow than the art.

So, while it may not always look like the Winter Wonderland you'd expect from the Winter Olympics, the organizers say they're ready. Let the games begin.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Pyeongchang, South Korea.