4 days ago
Winter blasts into South Island
Winter has truly arrived in the South Island, as many state highway routes are closed and warnings remain in place for snow.
MetService meterologist Sylvia Martino said Dunedin Airport and Tekapō took out the chilliest spots, at -5°C, overnight, while Christchurch dropped to -1°C. Check state highways here
In Otago, snow has closed State Highway 87 between Mosgiel and Kyeburn. The NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi decided to close the road at 5.20pm on Friday, cutting off Middlemarch. It was joined by SH85 (the Pigroot) between Palmerston and Alexandra at 8.15pm.
SH85 Alexandra to Kyeburn and Kyeburn to Palmerston are closed and road users should avoid the area if possible, NZTA advised.
People are being advised to stay home in Central Otago's Maniototo and upper Manuherekia areas, unless travel is essential, due to heavy snow.
In Canterbury, SH80 between Lake Pukaki and Aoraki/Mount Cook, SH79 Fairlie to Gudex Rd, SH8 between Fairlie and Twizel, SH73 Otira to Springfield (Arthur's Pass and Porters Pass) and SH7 Hanmer Springs to Springs Junction (Lewis Pass) are closed.
A heavy snow watch remained for inland areas of Canterbury and Marlborough between the Rakaia River and Ward until later this morning.
The Milford Road (SH94) in Southland is open with fine and frosty conditions. There's ice and grit especially around bridges and road users are advised to drive with care.
MetService meteorologist Samkelo Magwala said the worst of the snow would continue until later on Saturday, as would the risks associated with this weather.
"The main driver of the snow is a low east of the South Island and it's propagating the cold suddenly into the region.
"As a result, we have this destructive snow which is wet but will remain for quite some time. This is a very good indication that the winter is truly with us." Crown Range Rd closed
The Crown Range Road, linking Queenstown and Wānaka, remains closed this morning due to heavy snow. A police spokesman said on Friday they had received calls about "a small handful" of vehicles stranded on the road.
A spokesman for the Queenstown Lakes District Council said conditions yesterday and cold overnight temperatures have led to an extremely slippery road surface and crews were applying grit.
Meanwhile, road temperatures around the Queenstown Lakes district were sitting around 3°C or below this morning and could potentially lead to ice with the roads being wet.
"Grit has been applied on the Devil Staircase and Arrow Junction (SH6), as well as the usual shaded areas and bridge decks." Central Otago
In Central Otago, thick snow of up to 30cm has been recorded in Maniototo, meaning essential travel only for road users as well as in Upper Manuherekia where Oturehua, Becks, St Bathans, Wedderburn are affected, a spokeswoman for the Central Otago District Council advised this morning.
There are normal winter driving conditions for Omakau, Poolburn, Roxburgh, Cromwell and Alexandra. However, some roads are wet from rain overnight and patches of snow on the high-country roads.
"We are expecting temperatures to drop around daybreak causing ice issues, ice likely particularly on bridge decks and shaded spots, reduce your speeds and drive to the conditions.
"If your travel isn't essential in Maniototo and upper Manuherekia areas, the advice is to stay at home."
Danseys Pass Road is closed (from the gates past the Danseys Pass Hotel) due to snow.
"There are a lot of roads affected by this weather system, before you start your journey, please check."
Southland
The Milford Road (SH94) in Southland is open, with fine and frosty conditions. There's ice and grit especially around bridges and road users were advised to drive with care.
NZTA also warned of snow on SH6 between Kingston and Lumsden. Ferries cancelled
Cook Strait ferries were being cancelled this weekend because of forecast 6m swells.
Interislander had cancelled all passenger sailings for today. Bluebridge had also cancelled all today's sailings and one early tomorrow. Freezing start to Friday
It was a freezing start to the day in much of the South on Friday.
At 7am, the MetService website showed Mosgiel as officially the coldest centre in the country, on -5°C. Alexandra was -2.5°C, and Queenstown was -1°C.
Dunedin was 3°C, only 1°C lower than the warmest places in the South Island - Nelson and Westport which were 4°C.
At 10.45am, Mosgiel was still shivering on -1.5°C.
Non-official weather station data on the MetService site showed -7°C at Tekapo at dawn, and both the Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes District Councils said temperatures of -6°C had been recorded.
The freezing conditions prompted police in the South to issue a warning of black ice on southern roads and to urge motorists to take "extreme care".
They said they had already attended one black-ice related crash yesterday morning and were aware of another.
"Thankfully, no-one has been injured but we want to ensure everyone gets to their destination safely."
- ODT Online, APL and RNZ
