Severe Cold Outbreak over NZ 18th-21st

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Willoughby
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Waikato Times
Waikato feels nature's lash
20 September 2005
By ANDREW McALLEY and By TANE AIKMAN

Snow lay on Mt Pirongia, the Kaimai Ranges and Mt Te Aroha today as the increasingly bizarre spring weather continued.


Raglan residents endured another worrying night with king tides, strong winds and run-off from the hills pushing up harbour levels to more than 3m above normal.

Homes were flooded yesterday in Lorenzen Bay while Marine Parade, linking the town with the Kopua Domain and motor camp, was cut. The footbridge was partially under water.

Mark Reynolds braved the rising tide to cross the bridge on his bike and said he had never seen anything like it in eight years in the town. "I guess it's a timely reminder of the forces of nature. Watching the water rise so quickly, you get an idea what it must've been like in New Orleans," he said.

Lorenzen Bay Rd couple Dylan Cooksley and Sarah Savage were warned on Sunday to move their cars to higher ground. Yesterday they were thankful the wind had dropped as it had been pushing the water close to their front door.

Neighbour Stan Francis said residents copped flooding from both sides because a stormwater drain behind houses broke while the king tide came in from the front.

King tides happen once or twice a year, coinciding with a full moon.

Raglan constable Kevin Holmes said things could have been a lot worse. "We'd been expecting a bigger tide last night but luckily things died down."

Near Manu Bay the sea washed over the road by the toilets.

"It's the first time I've seen that happen since I've been in Raglan," he said.

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Michael
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Unread post by Michael »

The hail cleared a.m with the SW abating to Strong at times this afternoon and 4/8 :x
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Unread post by tich »

Wintry showers of hail and sleet continued out around Akaroa today, but after a heavy rain shower late afternoon, there's been nothing since. Partly cloudy now - we probably won't get a heavy frost like the inland areas should get.

Reports of snow (falling, not necessarily settling) from the icy blast from Smile City and Trademe forums have also included the Whangamoa Saddle (between Blenheim and Nelson) and Stratford, Taranaki, while the hills east of Masterton (as well as the Rimutakas and Tararuas) have aslo been coated white.
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Unread post by tgsnoopy »

Foggy Hamilton wrote:I'm noticing tgsnoopy isn't posting, so I guess he is hopefully stuck on the Desert Road taking wicked pictures he is known for! :D
I wish, I got up at about 5am and headed up the Kaimai's, but unfortunately no sign of any snow. It was a bit warm for it to last and from the sound of things the worst of it went through while I was up there last evening.

There is nothing I would have liked to have done more than chase this storm, but alas my present employment doesn't have the flexibility of my previous employment, hence the early start to get a look in before my work day started.

Any skilled radio tech's considering moving to Tauranga? We have no shortage of work presently, it would be a good time to be talking to us.

I note the snow on Mount Pirongia was above the 800m mark, the Kaimai Summit I went up to (Takaurunga) was only 650m. Oh well, I'll have to get up earlier and go higher next time. I understand Mount Te Aroha had snow at it's summit (950m), Unfortunately I couldn't justify the trip up to our next highest radio site on the range (Te Weraiti, 750m), probably just as well as I doubt there would have been anything to see.

So clearly in our neck of the woods, the August event last year was better than this one, it saw snow down to about 550m on the Kaimais.
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Willoughby
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Unread post by Willoughby »

tgsnoopy wrote:So clearly in our neck of the woods, the August event last year was better than this one, it saw snow down to about 550m on the Kaimais.
Yes but Mt Pirongia hasnt had snow on it in atleast 15 years, and this is mid-September! :shock: There wasnt as much cold air to the west last year as there was last year in August. But Taumarunui did have settling snow... hmmm

Already -4c at Waiouru... big record-breaking frosts on the way for Waiouru and the Chateau for September i'm guessing.

New Zealand not the only one to be hit by a cold outbreak, check this out! :shock:

Sharp temperature drop kills dozens in Mongolia

20.09.05 3.20pm


ULAN BATOR - Cold weather has killed 30 people in isolated, wind-swept Mongolia where temperatures plummeted from a warm 23C on Friday to well below zero, local media said.

Most of the victims in the capital Ulan Bator were found over the weekend on the streets and at bus stops, the Daily News said....
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/stor ... D=10346490
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Unread post by RWood »

Don't want to start a new thread just for this...

I have a friend in Auckland who flies to Hawkes Bay from time to time and has a notion of making it to the South Island sometime. I'm not well up on links to long-range forecasts that might be useful to an amateur pilot with a (very) limited understanding of weather science. Can anyone recommend some? It may be that his aero club already has them, of course, just wondering.

Sorry if this is going over old ground again...
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Unread post by RWood »

Don't want to start a new thread just for this...

I have a friend in Auckland who flies to Hawkes Bay from time to time and has a notion of making it to the South Island sometime. I'm not well up on links to long-range forecasts that might be useful to an amateur pilot with a (very) limited understanding of weather science. Can anyone recommend some? It may be that his aero club already has them, of course, just wondering.

Sorry if this is going over old ground again...
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Unread post by Manukau heads obs »

http://www.metvuw.com/forecast/
those forecast charts go 7 days out...
could be usefull
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Brian Hamilton, weather enthusiast. My weather dataEmail: [email protected]
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Unread post by RWood »

Manukau heads observer wrote:http://www.metvuw.com/forecast/
those forecast charts go 7 days out...
could be usefull
Many thanks for that quick answer, could be very helpful!
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Unread post by Willoughby »

RWood wrote:Don't want to start a new thread just for this...

I have a friend in Auckland who flies to Hawkes Bay from time to time and has a notion of making it to the South Island sometime. I'm not well up on links to long-range forecasts that might be useful to an amateur pilot with a (very) limited understanding of weather science. Can anyone recommend some? It may be that his aero club already has them, of course, just wondering.

Sorry if this is going over old ground again...
http://www.ifis.airways.co.nz/ Is good with MetService aviation forecasts..

On that note, just went for a fly around Hamilton, spectacular to take an aircraft in your own hands!

15min rain radar & 30min satellite data here I come!
woops should'nt have said that

Murky and drizzly today, 11c with light winds.

Bit of lower level instability today.
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Unread post by RWood »

Thanks for that, Foggy.
Sunny today but the warmth is yet to return.
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Unread post by tich »

Yes but Mt Pirongia hasnt had snow on it in atleast 15 years
I'm sure Pirongia has had snow alot more frequently, including August last year and late May 2001. (reported in the media) In 1992 I recall it had at least 4 separate coatings. However, mountains like the Kaimais and Pirongia are forested right to their tops and have infrequent human presence, so many light falls may go unnoticed. :idea:

In sharp contrast to the last few days, the Akaroa area has had a lovely day, with just enough high cloud to prevent a frost. However, the thick white coating (only slowly melting) on the hills is a potent reminder of the wintry blast.
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Unread post by Michael »

Here its slightly improved but a few showers have remained and the fresh SW has been rather cold with lots of cloud at times :x
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Unread post by Storm Struck »

Afternoon heating produced typical clouds inland today where NE blew on coast and W wind blew inland but all in all nice sunny day 14C.
Some of the new Punga's comng through have died due to the snow and frost but the smaller ones are ok pic below of it as well.
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Unread post by Thunder »

Yes Jason, a few clouds popping up with the heat despite the poor moisture situation. Got a bit warmer than I thought today.

Sorry I haven't been as active as I have over the last few day's, just been very busy. Got some pics of the snow to that'll put up tomorrow and a few of those weak Cb's the other day (Saturday). Got about 10-15cm of snow at my place, was still a little in the garden this morning but gone now.

Cheers
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Unread post by tich »

Spring full of snowy surprises
21.09.2005

By KRISTIN MACFARLANE in Rotorua
Leah French's regular morning walk became a crisp stroll yesterday with a light dusting of snow on top of Mt Tarawera.

The Lake Tarawera resident took her 10-month-old labrador, Rimsky, with her as she does every day.

It was while she was out on her hour-long walk that she noticed the white powder lying over the mountain.

She has lived in the Lake Tarawera area for 14 years, and while this wasn't the most snow she had seen on the mountain the weather was a lot colder than most September mornings, making it a great start to her day.

"It was spectacular," Mrs French said.

Fellow Lake Tarawera resident Robin Gardiner agrees.

"It was a beautiful picture," Mr Gardiner said.

Meanwhile, the manager of the Blue Lake Top 10 Holiday Park at Tikitapu (Blue Lake), Susan Timmer saw snow falling for the second time in her 12-and-a-half years at the accommodation site.

She said snow fell for up to half an hour while she and about four other staff had their coffee and carried out daily jobs.

"It was really quite neat, I wish I'd been able to take a photo of it," Mrs Timmer said.

"The staff had a great delight - we couldn't believe it."

Although the snow was a lot clearer than previous falls in the area, Mrs Timmer would liked to have seen more of it.

"It came down but it didn't hang around ... this was actually more noticeable."

One resident of suburban Glenholme swears to waking up to a small amount of snow on her lawn yesterday morning.

However, it turns out the so-called snow was very fine hail. There were also unconfirmed reports of "snow" at Reporoa.

Rotorua weatherman Brian Holden said the snow on Mt Tarawera and other areas around the Rotorua district was not normal for this time of year.

However, it did occasionally happen.

"It's really just part of this cold snap that we've been having.

"It's certainly been the coldest day here for some time.

"It's just one of those things, it doesn't happen very often but it's not uncommon," he said.

Although yesterday was cold with the minimum temperature 2C, it was not as bad as Sunday's weather.

"We're definitely away from the worst of it but that being said, we're still going to have cold southwesterly winds."

Meanwhile, 50cm of fresh snow fell at Mt Ruapehu on Monday night taking the ski field's base to more than 2m for the first time this season.
(From Rotorua Daily Post)
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Unread post by NZstorm »

I put a little story up on my website on the cold weather. Will possibly add more photos soon.

http://www.thunderstorm.co.nz/spring_snowfall.htm

I now doing a story on the Hamilton tornado(or was it a microburst). #-o
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I can't believe the snow in Reporoa or Blue Lake for that matter around 300m asl both respectively, have seen light dustings of snow atop Ngongataha and Tarawera before, when we've been over there in the winter months.

Also a report of a F0-1 tornado at Rerewhakaaitu (Just south of Mt Tarawera)
http://www.dailypost.co.nz/storydisplay ... ubsection=

Feel free to use my photos Steven.. :)
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Feel free to use my photos Steven..
Cheers Foggy.
Should I credit the photos to 'A Hamilton Resident' or would you prefer your name. I don't think I've got your name.
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Unread post by 03Stormchaser »

Christchurch Report for 19th found here: http://www.03stormchaser.com/snow.html

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NZstorm wrote:
Feel free to use my photos Steven..
Cheers Foggy.
Should I credit the photos to 'A Hamilton Resident' or would you prefer your name. I don't think I've got your name.
Willoughby Owen will do :)

Looks like another cold change (but brief) is on the way for the SI on Wednesday afternoon with freezling levels dropping down to about 700m over the Canty foothills/Banks peninsular

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Unread post by NZ Thunderstorm Soc »

Foggy Hamilton wrote:
Looks like another cold change (but brief) is on the way for the SI on Wednesday afternoon with freezling levels dropping down to about 700m over the Canty foothills/Banks peninsular

Cheers
JohnGaul
NZTS

Yes I saw that.
However, not enough uummph in the south seas to produce much, well at the moment :(
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Unread post by tich »

I can't believe the snow in Reporoa or Blue Lake for that matter around 300m asl both respectively, have seen light dustings of snow atop Ngongataha and Tarawera before, when we've been over there in the winter months.
Blue Lake is about 400m asl, a bit higher than Rotorua City. The snow was obvious according to the people there, though the report stressed that it was probably wasn't snow (but more likely hail) near Reporoa. It was a very cold and unstable airflow on Monday and Tuesday, so snow falling as low as 300m in the central NI wouldn't have been unthinkable. But cells of cold precipitation in such flows can easily hit one area and not another neighbouring location.
I also think that heavy showers with hail can chill the air more strongly than lighter rain showers, allowing snow to reach lower levels than would otherwise fall.
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