Magical snowy surprise as autumn settles in
Snow has fallen in parts of the South Island and there’s more to come as a polar blast sweeps the country with rain and thunderstorms.
MetService is calling this the “coldest weekend of the year so far”.
With temperatures plummeting to below zero in places, MetService issued road snowfall warnings for Porters Pass and Arthur’s Pass on State Highway 73 in Canterbury yesterday.
Daily maximum temperatures around Canterbury, Otago and Southland were expected to stay under 15C, about 6C below the average for this time of year, MetService said.
One Herald reader in Otago said it began snowing in St Bathans, a small, former gold mining town about 70km from Alexandra, around 10.20am yesterday.
“It got quite cold with a wee southerly blowing through. Then there was a bit of rain and suddenly it just started snowing.
“[These are] the biggest snowflakes people had seen. It’s dead quiet, and big, puffy snowflakes are falling. It’s completely unexpected because it wasn’t on the forecast.
“It’s pretty impressive. The fire’s cranking [in the Vulcan Hotel] and people are just drinking port, beer and coffee. The tourists are stoked,” the man said.
Today would get even colder, MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor said.
That was because “clear skies following the passage of the cooler air will mean no clouds to bring an insulating effect”, O’Connor said.
MetService said crisp mornings were “no doubt” on the way with the autumn equinox coming on Wednesday.
Aucklanders should see fine conditions today with a few morning showers and a high of 19C and partly cloudy skies with showers clearing tomorrow.
But Wellington would be cooler with a high of 16C today and mainly fine weather both days.