Snow-hit highways in Canterbury open
Two state highways affected by heavy snow in Canterbury have reopened. Check state highways here
State Highway 8 between Twizel and Fairlie, and SH80 between Lake Pukaki and Aoraki/Mount Cook in the Mackenzie Country were closed at 6pm yesterday as a safety measure for motorists and crews working on the roads.
More snow flurries had been forecast and this, combined with snow melt and freezing temperatures, made for extremely icy conditions, the New Zealand Transport Agency/Waka Kotahi said on Saturday.
The Hermitage Hotel in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park looked like a winter wonderland, blanketed in snow.
The closures were lifted 10am today, but motorists were still advised to take care when travelling. Roading crews had been busy gritting and treating areas of ice on the roads.
MetService said snow flurries were possible for the Lewis Pass this afternoon and more snow was expected for Porters Pass (SH73) from 3am until about 10am on Monday. Up to 4cm may accumulate above 800 metres, with lesser amounts down to 500 metres.
Other South Island highways that had been closed by snow yesterday morning were now open, but motorists were encouraged to plan ahead and check the roads before travel, the spokesman said.
"Snow and ice can make travel more hazardous, and motorists should be mindful of speed, travelling distances and visibility."
🥶Winter is certainly here! It's a very cold and frosty start of the day, with Wanaka at -4℃ and Taumarunui at -3℃this morning. Here are the 7am temperatures. Please note that a temperature below 3℃means frost and a temperature below -2℃ means severe frost, so watch out for… pic.twitter.com/m80JYXQI1b — MetService (@MetService) June 7, 2025 Chains needed on Crown Range Road
The Crown Range Road linking Queenstown and Wānaka is open following heavy snow overnight on Friday, but chains still need to be carried.
MetService said snow showers were expected from 8pm today until 2am on Monday, and up to 1cm may accumulate about the summit.
A spokesman for the Queenstown Lakes District Council said there were sub-zero temperatures across the district this morning and crews had applied anti-icing agent CMA has been applied to certain areas including to parts of SH6 from Frankton to Kingston and Arrow Junction, and Shotover bridge.
"The roads are mostly dry across the district, however this can change around sunrise. The temperature lowers a few more degrees and could present issues for shady spots and bridge decks in particular."
In Southland, another fine but frosty day was forecast for the Milford Road (SH94) area and there was ice and grit around bridges, the Milford Road Alliance advised. "Please drive with care."
- ODT Online
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RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
State Highway 8 and SH80 reopen after snow closure
The road winding east along SH8 toward Burkes Pass township in the South Island. Photo: Supplied / New Zealand Transport Agency Two sections of State Highway in the Mackenzie Country that were closed overnight - because of risk from snow and ice - have now reopened. State Highway 8 between Twizel and Fairlie and SH80 between Lake Pukaki and Aoraki/Mt Cook were closed on Saturday night as a safety precaution to both motorists and crews working on the roads. The New Zealand Transport Agency said the crews had been busy gritting and treating areas of ice on the roads. The road closures were lifted around 10am on Sunday. However, motorists are still advised to take care when travelling. A road snowfall warning is still in place for Porters Pass (SH73) and the Crown Range Road until Monday morning. MetService said warmer than average conditions over summer and the start of autumn had made this weekend's chilly blast all the more noticeable. Parts of the country awoke to their coldest morning of the year on Sunday with sub zero temperatures across the South Island as well as in Hamilton and parts of Wellington. Christchurch residents also reported the year's first dusting of snow on the Port Hills this morning. MetService Meteorologist Devlin Lynden said Mackenzie Basin dipped to a low of - 8°C while Wanaka and Queenstown recorded lows of - 5°C. He says - further north - the capital's weather station in Porirua recorded a low of - 1.3°C while Hamilton also touched freezing point reaching down to zero degrees. Auckland escaped with a comparatively mild 5°C while Whakatāne and Tauranga hovered at 2°C. Lynden said warmer than average conditions earlier in the year made Sunday morning's chilly blast all the more pronounced. "Through the start of summer and autumn we had lots of these northerly storm cycles - bringing quite a bit of moisture to the likes of Northland," Lynden said. "But with these storm cycles we also get quite warm conditions that's added to the shock value of this polar blast that we're experiencing right now." He said the cold temperatures were expected to linger into this week. "The next few days will still be quite chilly - perhaps a bit warmer than this morning - but as we look into the mid-week there will be some lifting of temperatures into lows of 10°C for some parts of the North Island. "But with that there will also be some rain unfortunately and cloudy conditions later on this week," Lynden said. He said snow forecast to fall as low as 400 metres on the mountain passes above the Canterbury Plains and Banks Peninsula could make driving treacherous in coming days. MetService has Road Snowfall Warnings in place for SH73, Porter's pass and the Crown Range Road into Monday morning. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
8 hours ago
- RNZ News
State Highway 8 and State Highway 80 reopen after snow closure
East along SH8 towards Burkes Pass township. Photo: Supplied / New Zealand Transport Agency Two sections of State Highway in the Mackenzie Country that were closed overnight - because of risk from snow and ice - have now reopened. State Highway 8 between Twizel and Fairlie and State Highway 80 between Lake Pukaki and Aoraki/Mt Cook were closed on Saturday night as a safety precaution to both motorists and crews working on the roads. The New Zealand Transport Agency said the crews had been busy gritting and treating areas of ice on the roads. The road closures were lifted around 10am on Sunday. However, motorists are still advised to take care when travelling. A road snowfall warning is still in place for Porters Pass (State Highway 73) and the Crown Range Road until Monday morning. MetService said the warmer than average weather over summer and the start of autumn have made Sunday morning's chilly blast all the more noticeable. Some of the country woke up to the coldest morning of the year, with sub-zero temperatures across the South Island as well as in Hamilton and parts of Wellington. Meteorologist Devlin Lynden said the Mackenzie Basin dipped to a low of -8 degrees while the capital's weather station in Porirua was less than -1 degrees. He said it will stay cold over the next couple of days but temperatures are expected to lift in the mid-week, accompanied by some rain and cloud. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
8 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Snow-hit highways in Canterbury open
Two state highways affected by heavy snow in Canterbury have reopened. Check state highways here State Highway 8 between Twizel and Fairlie, and SH80 between Lake Pukaki and Aoraki/Mount Cook in the Mackenzie Country were closed at 6pm yesterday as a safety measure for motorists and crews working on the roads. More snow flurries had been forecast and this, combined with snow melt and freezing temperatures, made for extremely icy conditions, the New Zealand Transport Agency/Waka Kotahi said on Saturday. The Hermitage Hotel in Aoraki Mt Cook National Park looked like a winter wonderland, blanketed in snow. The closures were lifted 10am today, but motorists were still advised to take care when travelling. Roading crews had been busy gritting and treating areas of ice on the roads. MetService said snow flurries were possible for the Lewis Pass this afternoon and more snow was expected for Porters Pass (SH73) from 3am until about 10am on Monday. Up to 4cm may accumulate above 800 metres, with lesser amounts down to 500 metres. Other South Island highways that had been closed by snow yesterday morning were now open, but motorists were encouraged to plan ahead and check the roads before travel, the spokesman said. "Snow and ice can make travel more hazardous, and motorists should be mindful of speed, travelling distances and visibility." 🥶Winter is certainly here! It's a very cold and frosty start of the day, with Wanaka at -4℃ and Taumarunui at -3℃this morning. Here are the 7am temperatures. Please note that a temperature below 3℃means frost and a temperature below -2℃ means severe frost, so watch out for… — MetService (@MetService) June 7, 2025 Chains needed on Crown Range Road The Crown Range Road linking Queenstown and Wānaka is open following heavy snow overnight on Friday, but chains still need to be carried. MetService said snow showers were expected from 8pm today until 2am on Monday, and up to 1cm may accumulate about the summit. A spokesman for the Queenstown Lakes District Council said there were sub-zero temperatures across the district this morning and crews had applied anti-icing agent CMA has been applied to certain areas including to parts of SH6 from Frankton to Kingston and Arrow Junction, and Shotover bridge. "The roads are mostly dry across the district, however this can change around sunrise. The temperature lowers a few more degrees and could present issues for shady spots and bridge decks in particular." In Southland, another fine but frosty day was forecast for the Milford Road (SH94) area and there was ice and grit around bridges, the Milford Road Alliance advised. "Please drive with care." - ODT Online
