State highways in Otago have reopened after snow and ice this morning, as a cold weather system begins to make its way north.
The cold south to southeasterly system is set to bring more snow to Canterbury and Marlborough, and MetService has warned severe south to southeast gales are possible for parts of the South Island.
SH87 Outram to Kyeburn, SH85 Palmerston to Kyeburn and the Lindis Pass (SH8 Tarras to Omarama) were open again by late this morning, though extra care was still needed on these routes.
More snow was forecast for the Lindis on Tuesday, with up to 3cm settling on the road above 600 metres and lesser amounts lower down.
Further north, SH8 Burkes Pass (Fairlie to Twizel) remained closed due to heavy snow and ice, and and motorists should take alternative routes.
In Southland, care is needed on SH94 (Mossburn to Te Anau) due to snow and ice.
South Island drivers need to check the Waka Kotahi /NZTA traffic map as many routes in Otago, Southland and Canterbury/ West Coast have warnings over them for strong winds, snow and ice this week.
“Expect driving conditions to be challenging and road conditions to change quickly through the week, Tresca Forrester, Journey Manager for Waka Kotahi, said.
Snow dump on way for alpine roads
Heavy snow has been forecast for alpine roads further north tomorrow, MetService advised.
The Lewis Pass (SH 7) was expected to get up to 8cm of snow on the road above 400 metres and lesser amounts lower down until midnight tonight. Another 1cm to 3cm is possible above 400 metres tomorrow morning.
For Arthur's Pass (SH 73), expect a further 5cm to 8cm to accumulate on the road above 500 metres, and lesser amounts lower down until 10am tomorrow, while Porters Pass (SH73) was forecast a further 10cm to 15cm of snow to accumulate on the road above 600 metres, with lesser amounts to low levels, until 11am.
Snow is affecting some Canterbury highways today and chains are needed on Porters Pass (Springfield to Castle Hill) and Arthur’s Pass to Otira. No towing vehicles are allowed.
For the Lewis Pass north and west of Waipara, there was snow down to Shale Peak, snow in Weka Pass to Hurunui and strong winds. Care is needed, especially for high-sided vehicles.
From Windwhistle to Methven (SH77): a road patrol is active and chains are essential. However, the road is closed to towing vehicles.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council advised that chains must be fitted to all vehicles driving over the Crown Range linking Queenstown and Wanaka this morning as snow and icy conditions were expected.
"There has also been two slips on the zig zag part of the road so please take extra care," a spokeswoman said.
Snow was also falling through the Kawarau Gorge this morning.
Motorists could expect a mix of wet and dry roads around Whakatipu, Wanaka and the Cardrona Valley - with freezing temperatures there is a good chance black ice will form. Expect ice and grit between Kingston and Frankton.
Drivers need to build in extra time and take care along this route to Queenstown, Waka Kotahi advised.
Caution urged in Maniototo and Manuherikia
Heavy snow and freezing temperatures means road users should drive with caution in the Maniototo and Manuherikia areas. Crews are ploughing and gritting roads, so reduce your speed and drive to the winter conditions.
The Ida Valley Omakau Road (Blacks Hill) has reopened but remains closed to towing vehicles (Swindon St intersection to Poolburn Moa Creek Rd intersection). The road has been gritted.
The rest of the district has wet roads with temperatures are ranging from -2°C to 2°C this morning. Watch out for shaded spots and bridge decks.
These roads remain closed: Danseys Pass Road (from the gates past the Danseys Pass Hotel), Auripo Road (Boundary Rd to Thurlow Rd), Poplar Grove (Earnscleugh Rd intersection) due to fallen tree, St Bathans Downs Road (SH 85 to Beattie Rd) due to flooding.
Dunedin gets a dusting
Snow dusted parts of Dunedin yesterday and it dumped further inland, closing roads and disrupting travel.
MetService forecaster Gerard Barrow said snow fell widely across the South yesterday as a front moved up the lower South Island.
The snow was expected to make way for sleety showers in Dunedin today as the front pushed north.
While there were no equivalents to MetService’s rain gauges, reports of snow were received throughout the day yesterday, Mr Barrow said.
In St Bathans, about 600m above sea level, an observer reported that it started snowing about 10am and by about 4pm 8cm had accumulated, he said.
Places above 500m, including Ranfurly, would likely have had 5cm to 10cm, with lesser amounts accumulating below that.
However, snow did not fall to a uniform depth over a large area, Mr Barrow said.
After yesterday’s snowfall, conditions would clear, but temperatures would drop, and this morning and tomorrow morning especially could present risks of icy roads for drivers around the region.
In Dunedin, it was supposed to drop to 2degC to start today and to -2degC inland in places such as Alexandra and Clyde.
The temperature would drop even further to -5degC in those inland areas as the week progressed.
Tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday were expected to be dry, but the weather would flow from the east or south and "it is going to be cold".
Maximum temperatures would remain in the single digits for the week.
Still, the reports of snow were welcomed on Dunedin social media yesterday.
Effusive reports of snow were made from Wakari, Shiel Hill and many from Pineapple Track, where a few centimetres covered the ground.
One observer said the area was "jam packed" and some people had brought along skis.
Simple rules for safe winter travelling
• Allow extra time and stay up to date with both road updates and weather forecasts
• Ensure your vehicle is safe for winter driving (warranted, windwipers/lights working, spare tyre, chains if in snowy areas)
• Drive to the road and weather conditions
• Slow down and be prepared for unexpected hazards
• Allow greater following distance between you and the vehicle ahead
• Make sure your cell phone is well charged, check car charger also
• Have blankets, snacks, bottles of water ready in case of emergency or a breakdown.
- Additional reporting ODT Online
