Wintry Week Ahead

MetService is predicting a fittingly wintry feel to the weather this week – with snow, frosts and low temperatures. An unsettled southwesterly flow is expected across the country with a succession of fronts bringing a continuous influx of cold air from the south.

The cold air will keep temperatures low right through the week with Thursday looking to be the coldest. MetService Meteorologist Jessie Owen says, “Overnight low temperatures are expected to take a tumble. Sub-zero lows are expected for much of the South Island, while large parts of the North Island can expect lows in the range of -2 to 3 °C. This will make for some frosty mornings so ensure you rug up warm for your morning commutes, and remember to take some extra time to defrost your windscreens before heading out.”

Daytime temperatures are also relatively low with Auckland forecast to reach 13 °C on Thursday, Hamilton 12 °C, and Wellington only 9 °C. For the South Island; Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill are all expected to reach 8 °C on Thursday, with Queenstown only warming up to a chilly 6 °C. With this southwesterly flow covering the country, there will definitely be an extra nip in the air.

Along with the cold comes the snow. A pair of fronts moving up the country today (Monday) have ushered in cold showery conditions to the lower South Island. Southland and Clutha can expect snow as low as 300-400 metres, while Dunedin, Otago, and the Queenstown Lakes District are forecast to see snow above 400-600 metres. Road snowfall warnings are in force for Milford Road, Crown Range Road, Lindis Pass, the Dunedin to Waitati Highway, Arthur’s Pass, and Porters Pass http://bit.ly/AllWarnings.

Another cold front is expected to move northwards over the South Island late Tuesday and Wednesday, and the North Island early Thursday. This will bring a period of rain, with snow falling to low levels in the south and east of the South Island, as well as central and southern parts of the North Island. Good news for ski fields, but make sure to check the road conditions before heading out as snow is likely to affect high country roads.

© Scoop Media