Wintry blast about to hit

FARMERS are preparing for wintry weather as a polar southerly digs in across Otago and Southland today, bringing heavy snow and rain.

Despite the spring equinox yesterday, heavy snow is forecast for parts of Otago and Canterbury down to 200m, with heavy rain for eastern parts of Otago and Southland below that.

MetService meteorologist Peter Little said a complex trough was moving on to the South Island last night, while a lowpressure system would deepen east of the country today.

The low would direct a cold southeasterly flow over the South Island, bringing significant snowfalls to high country areas, Mr Little said.

Road snowfall warnings were in place last night for the Lewis Pass (State Highway 7), Arthur’s Pass (SH73), Porters Pass (SH73), Haast Pass (SH6), Lindis Pass (SH8), the Crown Range Rd, and the Milford Rd (SH94) today.

Snow is also expected on Dunedin’s Northern Motorway from this afternoon.

A heavy rain watch has been issued for Dunedin and North Otago from 3pm today to 1am tomorrow, and up to 50mm of rain is expected during the period.

Periods of heavy snow are forecast down to 200m from 1pm until 6am tomorrow.

Clydevale farmer and Federated Farmers Otago meat and wool chairman Simon McAtamney said many sheep farmers were in the middle of lambing but would be well prepared for the polar blast.

Farmers would be shifting stock to warmer paddocks and keeping an eye on their lambs to make sure they were kept warm, Mr McAtamney said.

High country farmers usually did not start lambing until the end of September, so were unlikely to be affected.

Cold blasts at this time of the year were just part of farming in Otago and Southland so farmers were well prepared.

‘‘We get these spring storms and cold snaps — they’re miserable days to work in but you just got to work through it.’’

Most farmers would welcome the extra rain, he said.