Snow for Wellington tonight?

Snow now in Waikato/Across South Island

Sleet/Hail in Palmerston North, Wellington

North Island

Snow is falling as far north as the Kaimai Ranges in the Waikato as the winter storm moves in.  Snow has fallen down to 800 metres on Mt Te Aroha in the Eastern Waikato.   TRN’s Weather Watch Centre now estimates light snow is falling as far north as Auckland across the Coromandel Peninsula’s highest peaks.

Snow clouds can be seen around Auckland city and Waikato. “They tend to have a bronze tinge to them” says head weather analyst Philip Duncan. “If Sky Tower was 3 times its height it would be snowing on the top”. Duncan says the freezing level will lower to around 1000 metres over Auckland today.

Palmerston North has been hit by a big hail and sleet storm, as has Wanganui.  Police are warning motorists to take extreme care.

(image courtesy of Coast radio listener Dawn Pettersen, Palmerston North)

Wellington Weather Watch reporter Lee Densem says a brief sleet shower just passed through the Capital and head weather analyst Philip Duncan says snow will fall to low levels on the ranges around Wellington tonight.  “For those who live on the hilltops sleet and maybe even some snow flakes could fall over the next 12 to 18 hours”.  He says the weather will be very cold for the All Blacks game tonight with a ‘feels like’ temperature of zero degrees at kick off along with a gale force southerly.  “It may sleet during the game”.

Duncan says snow will most likely close the Rimutaka Ranges highway tonight with snow falling as low as 200 or 300 metres.

The Desert road remains closed in the North Island with the Weather Watch Centre expecting snow flurries to last right through Sunday and possibly off and on until Tuesday.

South Island

In the South Island our Invercargill Weather Watch reporter Malcolm Gayfer says it’s sleeting in Gore and it’s been snowing steadily in Queenstown all night with reports of up to 7 inches [18cms] since yesterday.

Meanwhile our reporter in Dunedin, Callum Procter says all sports in the city have been closed with “blizzard like conditions”.

Several roads in the South Island remain closed due to snow and ice.

Duncan says sleet or snow will be likely in Invercargill, Dunedin, Queenstown, Oamaru, Ashburton, Timaru, Christchurch and even Kaikoura over the next 24 hours and advises motorists to take extreme care.

The Weather Watch Centre’s Lightning Radar has recorded around 2600 strikes today mostly along the nation’s west coast. 

 

What’s the weather like in your town?  Post a public comment at the bottom right hand section of this news story or use the Contact Us button at the top of the page to send a private message or photo.