Moderate to Heavy Snowfall in Omarama Right Now.

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Fri 18/06/2004 11:27

Looks like a prolonged fall too.

Dean. · Unread post by **Dean.** » Fri 18/06/2004 12:05

And Metservice have adjusted their forecasts accordingly.
Blueskies should have stuck to their original forecast earlier in the week of snow to 800 metres for Friday.

Gee the Aussies are getting excited with their cold outbreak,possibly light snow forecast for the high velt in southern Queensland.

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Fri 18/06/2004 12:40

Deano wrote:And Metservice have adjusted their forecasts accordingly.
Blueskies should have stuck to their original forecast earlier in the week of snow to 800 metres for Friday.

Why don't they just ask us?! It's real winter wonderland stuff down here right now.

Gee the Aussies are getting excited with their cold outbreak,possibly light snow forecast for the high velt in southern Queensland.

"Crikey! Ees thees rooly what happeens to water when eet geets cold...?!"

(I'm just making gentle, good-natured fun of our cousins over there, OK? Hold off the flames you guys...)

My backyard:

Andy · Unread post by **Andy** » Fri 18/06/2004 12:53

Sleety drizzel here in Alex but a we bit warmer than you Gary

5-15 cm might be on the cards above 300-400m in inland areas

Temp 3 degrees with low cloud and cool drizzel

Andy · Unread post by **Andy** » Fri 18/06/2004 12:55

For Nelson Marlborough Canterbury, Otago, Southland
Rain, with heavy falls about Nelson and northern Marlborough.Snow to 500 metres about inland Canterbury and Otago. A clearance to fine weather overnight. Mainly fine on Saturday, but showers about the western ranges with one or two spreading eastwards late afternoon or evening.

Road Snowfall Warning

ISSUED BY METSERVICE AT 12:18pm 18 Jun 2004
VALID UNTIL 9pm Friday 18 June 2004

LINDIS PASS:
Snow is falling on the Lindis Pass and will probably continue through to this
evening. About 10cm of snow could accumulate near the top of the pass, with
lighter falls down to about 500 metres.

PORTERS PASS:
There may be some snow about Porters Pass today. Between midday and 5pm today (
Friday), about 5cm of snow could accumulate near the top of the Pass with
lighter falls down to about 700 metres.

MILFORD ROAD:
There may be some light snow near Homer Tunnel this afternoon and evening.
About 2-3cm of snow could accumulate around the eastern portal of the tunnel
between midday and 9pm this evening.

ScottyD · Unread post by **ScottyD** » Fri 18/06/2004 13:00

How high is Omarama asl?

Andy · Unread post by **Andy** » Fri 18/06/2004 13:05

scottiedavies wrote:How high is Omarama asl?

About 440 i think

Looks to be snowing further south as well. Gore current temp around 2 degrees with some precepatation.

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Fri 18/06/2004 13:36

The precipitation is pushing South and with it being very cold in the far South a period of snow to quite low levels is likely down there this afternoon. Snow level is likely to rise further north before it all clears out this Evening.

ScottyD · Unread post by **ScottyD** » Fri 18/06/2004 13:40

South Island Ski Fields: Precipitation + Cold = Good Skiing
North Island Ski Fields: Precipitation + Not Cold =Late Start to Season

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Fri 18/06/2004 14:39

scottiedavies wrote:How high is Omarama asl?

Andy is correct, Omarama averages around 440m ASL.

It's really coming down hard here now. I'd say we'll get quite a pile by the time it stops.

Are you expecting any snow in town, Andy?

Here's the lastest winter wonderland action shot from Omarama...

Andy · Unread post by **Andy** » Fri 18/06/2004 15:32

Gary Roberts wrote:
It's really coming down hard here now. I'd say we'll get quite a pile by the time it stops.

Are you expecting any snow in town, Andy?

Nice pics thanks Gary.. You must have 5-6cm by now

Temp still hovering around the 2-3 degree mark... dam it

so no snow here. Starting to rain a bit harder aready 5mm.

ScottyD · Unread post by **ScottyD** » Fri 18/06/2004 16:10

Nice Pictures, looks like the south has finally hit winter. Up here in Auckland it's just any other day.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Fri 18/06/2004 16:15

That's the warm advective snowfall I was predicting ealier in the week.
I just got the timing all wrong.

This was my original post.

There looks to be the chance of a snowfall over inland South Island midweek. I am thinking warm advective snow here, cold air undercutting more moist air, resulting in persistent wintry precip inland. Anyway, just a possibility of that happening at this stage.
_________________

So I was half right $\:D/$

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Fri 18/06/2004 16:23

Andy wrote:Nice pics thanks Gary.. You must have 5-6cm by now

Temp still hovering around the 2-3 degree mark... dam it so no snow here. Starting to rain a bit harder aready 5mm.

We've had 3-4" so far today but it's eased right back now and just very light fall, almost sleet. Maybe it'll head south and you'll get some tonight?

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Fri 18/06/2004 17:00

The freezing level over the South island today is around the 2000m level.

Warm advective snow fall tends to be a mesoscale occurance in this country which normaly catches weather forecasters out. Traditional forecasting techniques don't pick up the possibility of snowfall to low levels in such situations.

Dean. · Unread post by **Dean.** » Fri 18/06/2004 17:11

Looks like snow has only fallen to low levels from the Mackenzie Basin southwards,no snow around the Mid Canterbury foothills.
Mt Hutt only scored 4 cm's.
Rain has eased off here,still overcast and foggy.

Andy · Unread post by **Andy** » Fri 18/06/2004 17:18

Reports from the otago ski fieilds is that there has been 15-20cm and still snowing

Snow is falling in the the southern lakes down to lake level in and around Wanaka and QT.

Lindis Pass is closed and chains are required between Haast and Makarora

No snow here

Have had 13mm of rain, temp 2.1 degrees

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Fri 18/06/2004 17:40

Andy wrote:Reports from the otago ski fieilds is that there has been 15-20cm and still snowing

Snow is falling in the the southern lakes down to lake level in and around Wanaka and QT.

Lindis Pass is closed and chains are required between Haast and Makarora

No snow here

Have had 13mm of rain, temp 2.1 degrees

There were a few enquiries earlier today from Queenstown bunnies about the Lindis Pass. They weren't getting snow at that time I gather, and wanted to come through and do whatever it is that Queenstowners do with the stuff. Looks like they have some of their own to play in.

It's stopped snowing here for now. Dunno whether we'll get more this evening or overnight.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Fri 18/06/2004 18:27

Just what I thought would happen - pity MetService didn't change their forecasts until after the snow had started falling. Milder in Chch (11C - nothing like recent days, but not a really cold day here); raining more steadily in morning (drizzle to start with), but only brief outbreaks in afternoon. Wind strengthening within last hour or so.

Andy · Unread post by **Andy** » Fri 18/06/2004 18:33

Stop raining here too.

Just a we note: How often do you see the barometric pressure drop 30mb in under 20hrs with no wind. Thats a huge drop.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Fri 18/06/2004 18:47

Andy, I was just about to post about the pressure drop. Yes, its quite spectacular. Dunedin Airport 93891 has had a pressure fall of 24.4hpa in the last 12hrs. Queenstown 93831 has dropped 23.5hpa last 12hrs.
A bomb low off the West Coast.

6pm report from Queenstown has temp at 0.3C with rainfall last 6hrs of 10mm which suggests a good snowfall in that area.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Fri 18/06/2004 18:50

Andy wrote:Stop raining here too.

Just a we note: How often do you see the barometric pressure drop 30mb in under 20hrs with no wind. Thats a huge drop.

Yes, I have noted a rapid bpd today with the wind not really getting up in strength until to a about a couple of hours ago (Now it is quite windy with fresh ENE Gales")
Mild too about 12C with it being totally grey here all day with low cloud, more so misty, dull this morning then to now with low stratus moving very quickly off Pegasus Bay.
Should be a nice NW day tomorrow once this rubbish from this low clears away

Thunderstorms to the west

unfortunately washing away the snow for the skiers?

JohnGaul
NZTS

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Fri 18/06/2004 19:20

We currently have strong NE Breezy winds but next week looks like Fresh SW gales

NZ Thunderstorm Soc wrote:(Now it is quite windy with fresh ENE Gales")
JohnGaul
NZTS

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Fri 18/06/2004 19:47

Typical... I leave Qtown about 11am and thought that if it rained down through these tempertures I might see snow. I get to Dunedin about two and my collegue rings me going through the Gorge saying it's snowing

I have had a 31mb drop over 19hrs so far today.

We're going down down down down down down down down down down down

Andy · Unread post by **Andy** » Fri 18/06/2004 19:51

Fujita Phil wrote:
I have had a 31mb drop over 19hrs so far today.

We're going down down down down down down down down down down down

Raining again and steady too, temp 1.8 degrees