The state-of-the-art webcam and weather station are now up and running, beaming live images of the conditions at the top of New Zealand’s highest sealed road, between Wanaka and Queenstown.
MetService meteorologists would be able to use high-resolution data from the new station, as well as the webcam imagery, to enhance forecasts for the Crown Range and the wider Queenstown Lakes district and produce a new road snow warning service for the Crown Range Rd. The project included sensors which measured air and road temperatures, dew point, humidity, wind speed and direction and rainfall every minute.
The new road weather information would also help the Queenstown Lakes District Council’s roading contractors ensure the right resources were available, depending on the conditions.
The high-definition panoramic web camera, installed as part of the weather station, allowed motorists to check the conditions at the Crown Range summit, with images being refreshed every four minutes on the MetService website,QLDC policy, standards and asset planner Polly Lambert said the new services were a "huge development" for motorists, forecasters and roading contractors.
"The Crown Range is the main link between Queenstown and Wanaka and is regularly used by commuters and visitors.
"Being an alpine pass it is often affected by snow and ice so having a live feed of the conditions up there is a fantastic step forward.
"This is world-leading technology and it has been a huge team effort to get this installed in fairly trying conditions up on the Crown Range."
NZ Transport Agency journey manager Lee Wright said it was a "fantastic initiative" and gave Crown Range Rd users the "full picture" on weather conditions at the highest point on the route.
"Having access to this information means people can make better informed choices about their travel plans."
Information from the webcam would be added to the QLDC’s morning winter road reports.
