Icy blast sends mercury plunging, snow falls across NZ

Monday, 5 August 2019

A freezing blast has seen the temperature drop as low as -8 degrees Celsius overnight, while snow closed roads in both the North and South Islands.

MetService warned there was more to come - snow and ice making way for an unsettled week of rain and wind.

Mt Cook was the coldest place in the country as a mass of air from Antarctica swept up the country, bringing snow north.

Skiing at Broken River Ski Area, near Castle Hill in Canterbury, on Sunday.

Snow fell in Dunedin and many towns in Central Otago and Southland on Monday morning, while falls had been seen as far north as Rotorua, with the city's hills receiving a coating overnight.

Heavy snow falls in the Dunedin suburb of Brockville.

* Get set for overnight thunderstorms, rain - and possible snow

Snow 15 centimetres deep covered the streets of Gore on Monday morning.

* Heavy rain, snow, thunderstorms enveloping much of NZ

* Heavy snow forecast for northwest South Island, weather affects alpine passes**

Snow covers the trees on Takaka Hill. The main road to Golden Bay - State Highway 60 over the hill - was closed due to snow and ice earlier on Monday.

MetService was warning of the possibility of more snow throughout the day in the deep south, with a severe weather warning for Clutha, Southland including Stewart Island, and parts of Fiordland.

The snow was forecast to ease during Monday afternoon, and the snow levels should also begin to lift, the forecaster said.

However MetService warned of a new bout of severe weather which could hit the country at the weekend, with a deep low brewing to the north-west.

The forecast snow has finally come, with snow falls to low levels in the south of the South Island and snow in the mountainous regions of the upper south and North Islands.

'It looks like the next round of severe weather will have quite a different flavour compared to the last round,' said MetService meteorologist Angus Hines.

'The focus will shift away from snow and cold, and we could be looking at heavy rain and strong winds in their place. It's possible this could be just as impactful.'

MetService meteorologist Matthew Ford said reports suggested overnight snow was heaviest in Southland, the West Coast, and and the centre of the North Island. 'The far south, particularly Invercargill, has been the most in the firing line,' he said.

Invercargill got a heavy covering of snow on Sunday, and that continued on Monday. The freezing conditions had caused disruption for air travellers.

Residents in Tapanui, west Otago, wake to a coating of snow.

In Christchurch the day dawned fine but bitterly cold - only 4C shortly after 9am, while Auckland had southwesterlies that made its 8.5C feel like 3C.

Residents in Mamaku, near Rotorua, woke to snow on Monday morning. A video on the Mamaku Notice Board Facebook page showed snow falling overnight.

Several major roads around the country were closed due to snow on Monday.

The Desert Road - State Highway 1 - had re-opened after being closed for the morning due to snow, however authorities urged caution when driving the route.

Snow covers the ground in Waiouru, before the start of the Desert Road, on Monday morning.

MetService warned of a risk of further snowfalls on the highway on Monday evening.

The closest alternative route, State Highway 4 on the west side of Tongariro National Park, was open after earlier being closed due to a crash, which had meant a four to five hour detour via either New Plymouth or Napier was required.

In the South Island, Takaka Hill road had re-opened, as had SH1 between Clinton and Milton - but the NZTA was warning of ice and snow on the road.

In Southland, State Highway 93 between Clinton and Mataura, State Highway 94 from Te Anau to Milford and State Highway 90 from Raes Junction all remained closed due to snow.

In South Otago, State Highway 8 from Milton to Lawrence was also closed.

On the West Coast, SH7 between Reefton and Springs Junction was also closed and was not expected to be updated until 8pm on Monday.

Lindis Pass, Lewis Pass, and the Dunedin to Waitati Highway had re-opened.

The Crown Range road, which linked Wanaka and Queenstown, was open on Monday but motorists would need chains.

The Central Otago District Council was urging motorists to drive with caution, and only travel if essential around the Teviot area. Many towns had their roads gritted in the snowy conditions.

Motorists were urged to be cautious when travelling along SH1 between Balclutha and Dunedin as ice was present on the road.

The polar blast earlier saw snow around Greymouth and Hokitika on Sunday, and images sent to Stuff early Monday morning showed widespread snow cover in Reefton.

Snow was heaviest above 400 metres in the most affected areas, but had fallen as low as 100 metres above sea level.

The weather brought the first big dump of snow to hit the central North Island's alpine areas and ski-hire, lift operators and accommodation providers were looking forward to a now promising ski season.

'It's snowmageddon up there,' said Michelle Caldwell, general manager of sales and marketing for Ruapehu Alpine Lifts (RAL) on Monday. 'It's been snowing since Thursday.'