Foggy, damp and freezing winter in Reefton

jeffsweather · Unread post by **jeffsweather** » Wed 04/08/2004 21:10

Found this story on Stuff

Sun at last in Reefton

Reefton residents had to wait 10 weeks for a day of sunshine after a foggy, damp and freezing winter so far.

July 23 was the first fine, clear day in the Inangahua township since May 14.

Weather recorder Tony Fortune said the foggy conditions that defined June weather continued well into July, with six all-day fogs and 12 half-days.

Frosts were not as severe as in other years but there were 20 of them, the heaviest being -8deg.

Air temperatures fell to -7deg but rebounded to 14deg at the end of the month. Greymouth was warmer, but had eight frosts and a bottom temperature of 0.1deg.

Greymouth weather recorder Phil Forrest measured more sun and more rain than in July last year.

The 149mm of rainfall compared to 85mm last year but there were 145 hours of sunshine (126 hours) over 27 days of the month.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/w ... 13,00.html

Andy · Unread post by **Andy** » Thu 05/08/2004 08:42

I know what a can be like leaving in those conditions, after a few days of fog you actual crave sunshine.

The only good thing about fog down here in winter is that there will be some great photo shots of hoar frost and it is really beautiful when a smothers all the shrubs and trees especally the weeping willows and some of the pinus species.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Thu 05/08/2004 09:46

Reefton residents had to wait 10 weeks for a day of sunshine after a foggy, damp and freezing winter so far.

I recall it being foggy in the Maruia Valley as I was coming back from Nelson on the 28th July. The Maruia, inland from Reefton and a higher altitude (400 instead of 100-200 metres asl) is even more enclosed by mountains, which are higher than the Paparoas to the west of Reefton. So the unpleasant conditions that have plagued Reefton lately, could've been even worse. At least the scenery is beautiful when the weather is clear, as it was when I was travelling up to Nelson on the 24th.

I know what a can be like leaving in those conditions, after a few days of fog you actual crave sunshine.

I agree, having lived in Hamilton for a while once. I recall about 5 days of persistent fog. Not the slightest break in the murk. Then I visited home to Rotorua, and the fog lifted as I reached the Mamaku Plateau. It felt amazingly bright, even though it was still partly cloudy, rather than clear skies.

jeffsweather · Unread post by **jeffsweather** » Thu 05/08/2004 10:54

It was always depressing to know that just a few km north or south of Otorohanga, where I used to live was clear and sunny. The fog didn't clear til mid afternoon on some days.
Two things I don't miss about living there are the fogs though Christchurch has a few days where they hang around and the summer humidity.

I wonder if they measure the smog levels in Reefton? All that fog would indicate still days and coal fires smoking away can't be a good combination.

Andy · Unread post by **Andy** » Thu 05/08/2004 12:22

jeffsweather wrote: I wonder if they measure the smog levels in Reefton? All that fog would indicate still days and coal fires smoking away can't be a good combination.

I know Alex has reached 4-5 times the world health smog level itâ€™s not nice.

Mainly the old fires are to blame of course people burning wet wood wouldnâ€™t help either

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Thu 05/08/2004 19:39

The most fog prone regions of NZ are possibly the Waikato and Canterbury. Both these regions experience cold nights nights all year with moist conditions.

Some long term figures here for days with incidence of fog.

Christchurch Aero 50days average per annum
Hamilton Aero 90days
Wellinton aero 6 days
Auckland aero 19days
Alexandra 24 days

Taumaranui gets the prize for most fog days with an average of 104 days.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Thu 05/08/2004 20:23

Some long term figures here for days with incidence of fog.

Christchurch Aero 50days average per annum

Quite alot of Chch's fog is sea-fog. When I first experienced it, I was surprised that it wouldn't clear when the wind freshened, but I was relieved to be told it wasn't a smoggy fog. Rather different to the fogs I've experienced in the Waikato and elsewhere.
BTW on some of the worst smoggy nights here, it's perfectly clear - the smog apparently being invisible.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Thu 05/08/2004 20:40

I would say Ben that most fog at CH airport would be radiative cooling fog.
About 5-10%(educated guess) would be warm advective fog off the sea.

Last time I was in the South Island, winter three years ago, I drove around Canterbury, Otago and Southland. I was suprised how polluted the rural towns were down there with smoke. And I guess the same is true for the central NI although I drove through there to Mt Ruapheu early Friday and did not observe any pollution, just cold weather with fog patches.

jeffsweather · Unread post by **jeffsweather** » Thu 05/08/2004 20:52

Taumaranui gets the prize for most fog days with an average of 104 days.

I can agree with that observation having spent some very cold and foggy days working there!

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Thu 05/08/2004 21:44

I would say Ben that most fog at CH airport would be radiative cooling fog.
About 5-10%(educated guess) would be warm advective fog off the sea.

I'd guess the fog coming in off the sea might not reach the Airport nearly as often as it reaches the central city. And it's probably more common out by the coast. Aaron I recall posts of yours saying that it was still foggy at Southshore when it had cleared in central Chch. I can't give statistics of Chch fog, but I remember the really foggy periods (lasting for several days, eg exactly a year ago) generally involving sea-fog.

TonyT · Unread post by **TonyT** » Thu 05/08/2004 22:06

Average number of fog days in Christchurch city would be 10 or less per annum, and Ben is right, its usually sea fog, but it doesnt come in from the New Brighton coast on an easterly as you might expect, it usually blows in from Lake Ellesmere in a light SW flow. Which technically makes it advection fog.

The other 40 odd fog days at Christchurch airport are caused by fog drifting in from the nearby Waimak River on cold nights - it often affects the airport and Johns Road area, but rarely makes it over the northern suburbs, I guess perhaps due to the heat island effect.

Days of fog in Amberley seem very rare indeed.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Fri 06/08/2004 00:11

Yes Ben, some days its foggy here at Southshore and the city is clear. Maybe I should begin a diary to keep a record of things

The fog / mist etc is funny sometimes, I've been at the beach and seen it is totaly clear about 3-5km of the coast yet the mist keeps rolling in. It also seems to generate itself whenever that particular type of air mass hits Banks Peninsula. I guess its that the air is being forced up slightly by the hills and it cools because its going into slightly cooler temps aloft so it condenses to form the mist / fog that seems to cling to the Port Hills during the day. Am I close here guys?

Help me out!

Also, can someone tell me if Dewpoints are generaly higher near the coast where I am for e.g. Or is the difference at Chch airport compared to here negligible?

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Fri 06/08/2004 23:16

NZstorm wrote:The most fog prone regions of NZ are possibly the Waikato and Canterbury. Both these regions experience cold nights nights all year with moist conditions.

Some long term figures here for days with incidence of fog.

Christchurch Aero 50days average per annum
Hamilton Aero 90days
Wellinton aero 6 days
Auckland aero 19days
Alexandra 24 days

Taumaranui gets the prize for most fog days with an average of 104 days.

Hamilton only got three mornings of fog in July

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Sat 07/08/2004 08:56

The fog data I have for Ch city is 18days. But that could be in the botanic gardens/hagley park area rather than in the city. Wigram has 40days.
I guess Wigram is in the same climatic zone as Harewood. Rural.

For Hamilton, the city only gets 40days as opposed to the rural airport on 90days.

Auckland city averages 10days. I have seen warm advection fogs here with the temperature and dewpoint on 20C. But most fog in Auckland is the cold variety, radiative cooling.