High winds affected flights to and from Queenstown on Saturday, and gusts over 130kmh around Dunedin yesterday whipped up the sea off the Otago coast, lifted roofing tiles on land and brought down trees and wrecked fences.
Snow fell to near sea level from Southland to the Kaikoura Coast on Saturday and fleets of grit trucks were put to work on roads around Central Otago and Dunedin yesterday after snow flurries froze during overnight.
Snowfalls eased in Southland and eastern Otago early yesterday, leaving a light smattering on the ground, up to 10cm in higher parts of Dunedin, with less lying in Balclutha and the Waitaki districts.
Most of the snow had thawed by midafternoon.
Senior Sergeant Simon Mapp, of Dunedin, said there were several snow or ice-related minor crashes in the hill suburbs of Dunedin yesterday morning, but no injuries were reported.
High winds and low cloud delayed or cancelled flights to and from Queenstown Airport on Saturday.
Air New Zealand's Queenstown Airport manager, David Whitaker, said travel plans for about 1000 people were disrupted when seven flights were cancelled on Saturday because of low cloud.
Three flights managed to land at and depart from Queenstown on Saturday afternoon, with all other passengers bused to or from Christchurch.
However, snow overnight on Saturday combined with freezing temperatures to leave ice on the runway yesterday morning, affecting ‘‘a number of flights'', Mr Whitaker said.
Coronet Peak was busy yesterday, with fresh snow underfoot drawing about 2000 people to the first day of the 2008 ski season. The skifield could not be opened on Saturday because of overnight rain.
State Highway 87 between Outram and Middlemarch remained closed because of snow on Saturday and yesterday, while caution was required on several other Southern roads because of ice, snow and/or high winds. The affected roads included SH8 over the Lindis Pass between Omarama and Tarras, SH85 between Ranfurly and Alexandra, SH94 between Mossburn and Te Anau and the Milford Rd, the Crown Range, and SH6 between Cromwell and Arrow Junction.
Constable Nigel Buckingham, of Wanaka, said there were no reports of damage in the Upper Clutha area from high winds, or road crashes associated with the weather
