Travel disruption as weather blasts the south

Thursday, 24 May 2018

Another massive cold front has blanketed the ski field at Coronet Peak in Queenstown.

Southland is experiencing road closures and travel disruptions as wintry weather takes hold of the lower South Island.

MetService has issued severe weather warnings for Fiordland and Southland north of the Mavora Lakes with 20 to 40 centimetres of snow forecast above 400 metres, and more likely above 600 metres.

Under 400 metres heavy rain is expected, with amounts of between 50 and 60 millimetres in six to nine hours possible in Fiordland.

Heavy snow falling on State Highway 94 near Gorge Hill at 11am on Wednesday.

State Highway 94 from Te Anau to Milford Sound is closed between Hollyford Valley Road and Chasm Stream Bridge until further notice because of the snow forecast for the area, with an update expected on Friday morning.

A warning is also in place on State Highway 96 south of Wreys Bush, with slippery conditions leading to a temporary speed restriction of 50kmh.

Between 20 and 40 centimetres of snow has been forecasted above 400 metres in Queenstown.

Real Journeys corporate communications manager Tsehai Tiffin said no coaches left Queenstown for Milford Sound on Thursday, and flights into Milford Sound had also been cancelled, which meant cruises in Milford Sound were not operating.

However, Doubtful Sound cruises were unaffected, and the Te Anau Glowworm Caves had been reopened after being affected by flooding on Wednesday.

A cold front has blanketed the ski field at Coronet Peak in Queenstown.

Department of Conservation principal ranger Grant Tremain said in Fiordland there had not been any major disruptions but he did expect a few windfalls.

Thankfully walkers in general have been heeding advice and staying out of the hills, he said.

The recent snowfall at Coronet Peak has added to the more than 30 centimetres of snow dumped in recent days.

A spokesperson at the Discover Milford Sound Information Centre and Cafe said there were only a couple of people who had to stay in town because of the road closure and, with the expectation that the road would reopen again on Friday they were not too concerned.

Coronet Peak spokeswoman Annie Standen said the recent snowfall had completely blanketed the skifields at Coronet Peak and the Remarkables, adding to the more than 30cm of snow dumped in recent days.

She said the 2018 ski season was expected to run from early June to early October, with The Remarkables opening on June 9 and Coronet Peak opening on June 16.

NZ Transport Agency spokeswoman Frances Adank said sea swells up to 7 metres were expected along SH6 north of Hokitika and around Bruce Bay in South Westland from 7pm on Thursday.

She said depending on where the swells hit, the highway could be closed overnight.

'High tide is around seven this evening and in past coastal swells sea debris has been flung onto the highway.

'Crews are out keeping a pretty close eye on things from South Westland right through to between Greymouth and Westport, which is the main area that gets a lot of debris from the sea,' she said.