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Canterbury’s Lewis Pass has reopened after heavy snowfall on Friday, with police warning road users to drive to the conditions amid more forecast snow for the state highway.
Yesterday, MetService issued road snowfall warnings for alpine roads throughout the South Island, including the Lewis Pass (State Highway 7), the Crown Range Road, linking Queenstown and Wānaka, and Milford Road (SH94) in Southland.
The Lewis Pass was closed for about 15 minutes late on Friday morning due to threat of black ice and snow.
Police advised motorists to drive to the conditions and reduce speed.
Another period of snow showers was expected on SH7 for about five hours from 5pm on Friday, and a further 1 to 2cm may accumulate above 700 metres, MetService said.
Meanwhile, snow showers were forecast for higher parts of the Desert Road (SH1) in the central North Island early on Saturday morning.
In Southland, it as a snowy sight at the Milford Road’s Homer Tunnel on Friday morning.
Snow showers were expected through the morning but not expected to cause any disruption, the Milford Road Alliance said, and there was no avalanche threat.
The Crown Range also got a dusting of snow at the summit but this had cleared by late morning.
- Allied Media