New Zealanders are split almost 50/50 on whether or not this winter is producing enjoyable weather.

In our most recent poll – which we extended due to the Antarctic blast – the poll results are close, but there is a slight winner: No, this winter isn’t not enjoyable at all.

“No” won with 53% while “Yes – this is a great winter!” came in at 47%.

So why the long face over winter? Perhaps this comment from a WeatherWatch.co.nz reader in the South Island sums it up:

“Tough call on this poll. In terms of being mild, a great winter! That said, nowhere near enough moisture in Canterbury – which doesn’t bode well for summer”.  

The Canterbury guest who voted in the poll went on to say “Overall, it’s messed with the plants and animals and that will be interesting to see if there are effects of that later on”.

That was a South Island view – here’s a comment from someone in the North Island:

“In the North Waikato we are extremely wet but after cold of last year, it is not a bad thing to get lots of water. Winter is winter, get enough fire wood and it just has to be endured. Spring is where its at and last spring was a shocker. Bring on spring and a good one”.

And another Waikato reader wrote “It’s a whole lot warmer [in Cambridge] this year than it was last year. Thank goodness!”

Around 400 people voted in the online poll.

Winter 2016 has been defined with plenty of warmth overall – but too much wet for those waterlogged and not enough wet for those still in drought.  It seems wet regions are getting wetter and dry regions are not returning to normal. Snow on the ski fields was also very late this year – but it has turned up.

As WeatherWatch.co.nz said to the Ministry for Primary Industries way back in May, Autumn – this winter was going to be warmer than average but that August may see a polar blast with heavy snow right into the North Island.  Now we’re expecting westerlies and mild conditions for many regions for the second half of August…but NZ is prone to short, sharp, southern snow storms in September and even October – but they tend to be shorter lived than 7 days, unlike the polar blast over NZ these past several days.

POLL RESULTS:

– WeatherWatch.co.nz