There’s a letting up of blizzard conditions across the northern Hawke’s Bay ranges today and heavy rain in places lower down between Napier and Wairoa and towards Gisborne through Sunday morning.

However some roads are closed and more flooding is possible this morning as a low pressure system continues to fuel a very narrow but wet east to south east flow into Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne area. At the same time the Antarctic blast is crashing into it from the south – creating an especially heavy area of snow on the ranges, which is now moving north and easing gradually from the south, but heavy flurries remain earlier today.

Snow and flooding has closed major highways in the central and eastern North Island along with major power cuts.

NZTA has announced SH5 from Napier to Taupo will remain CLOSED into Sunday morning due to Heavy Snow. WeatherWatch.co.nz says it’s likely to remain closed, or affected by snow and ice for some time due to the massive amount of snow that has fallen. Check with NZTA as they may be open the road if conditions clear earlier.

Also, SH2 the Napier to Wairoa highway is CLOSED as of early Sunday morning due to Heavy Rain and flooding – please check with NZTA for updates.

In New Zealand our biggest snow storms often occur when polar air hits warm, wetter air over parts of the country just like this event in the ranges of Hawke’s Bay.

Conditions may not ease until as late as Sunday afternoon or evening in Hawke’s Bay, then it shifts into East Cape and the Gisborne ranges before clearing overnight Sunday and into Monday morning. More road closures are possible, so too are further power cuts.

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WEATHER VIDEO with Philip Duncan: “Exceptionally heavy snow” for Hawke’s Bay Ranges today – plus a New Zealand forecast until Tuesday.

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Late Saturday afternoon snow fell close to Taupo. The town was on 3.3 degrees with rain while snow fell on Mt Tauhara and nearby Broadlands Road.

However despite night time, temperatures have actually gone up a degree making snow flurries in Taupo less likely. We can’t rule it out though – but generally Taupo is looking about 2 degrees too warm for snow to get into the town, at least at this stage.

On Friday WeatherWatch.co.nz advised motorists that highways connecting Hawke’s Bay to other regions may be shut off by snow, ice, gales, rain and possible slips – now two of the three State Highways out of Hawke’s Bay are closed due to the adverse weather:

ROAD CLOSURES: (as of 7:30pm Saturday)

• The Napier-Taupo Highway (SH5) is closed due to snow.
• The Napier-Wairoa Highway (SH2) is closed due to flooding.
• The Desert Road (SH1) is closed due to snow.
• Please visit the NZTA website for the latest roading information – we do not monitor all highways.

Below is the 12 noon rain map for Saturday – and this is pretty much how most of Saturday AND Sunday looks.  

This is a significant and rare snow event for the region.

– Image / 12 noon Saturday rain and wind map for the North Island looks similar to Sunday AM too – via Weathermap

– WeatherWatch.co.nz