An Early Wave of Winter.

A taste of winter fell onto New Zealand on Saturday, with many towns in the lower South Island waking up to snow on their doorsteps. Although snow depths were deeper at higher altitudes, 12cm was recorded in Kingston (330m), and in Clinton (200m) 3cm was recorded. Snowmen rolled into life from Dunedin to Balfour, and both SH87 and SH1 were closed north of Dunedin due to snow. The snow-baring front reached the North Island later in the day, and was sufficient to close the Desert Road and leave a dusting on the hills from Wellington to the Bay of Plenty.

The snow fell from a cold front, which was followed by strong southwesterly winds. These winds have whipped up a sizeable swell in the Southern Ocean, the peak of which is due to reach New Zealand’s eastern coastline today. A wave buoy in the Cook Strait has been recording average wave heights of five to six metres throughout Sunday, with the biggest waves as much as eleven metres. High tide – which rotates around New Zealand in an anticlockwise direction – reaches Wellington at 12.30pm today, and will bring the highest risk of inundation for coastal roads in the area. High tide then works its way north, with the maximum risk reaching Gisborne an hour later at 1.30pm. Although swells will have reduced by the following high tide tonight, motorists are advised to drive with caution on coastal roads.

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