NZ Weather Forum

Another frosty morning in Chch. Was foggy last night in the central city, but not as bad as the Super 14 final night.

Glorious day here. If this working week's the payoff for a couple of cold days, I want to order some more.

Rub it in We all know Wellington though colder has better weather

RWood wrote:Glorious day here. If this working week's the payoff for a couple of cold days, I want to order some more.

We didn't do so well in May (see the NIWA posting I made) - too much scungy SE stuff - but the current regime is favourable

SE are the best followed by N then NW then NE then S and then W and of course far at the bottom of the heap are South westerlies,no good for any weather,just gives cold windy showers and sunless clag

RWood wrote:We didn't do so well in May (see the NIWA posting I made) - too much scungy SE stuff - but the current regime is favourable

I couldn't order the (gradient wind) directions here so categorically, would need more case-splitting, but the best are certainly Calm, WSW and ENE; the worst S/SSE.

We only really get certain directions except rarely and only temporary,

Most our westerlies are actually SW least WSW and often southerlies are SSW and NW are rare apart from frontal passages and NE are common sometimes but ESE arnt and SE hardly blow unless a deep low is moving off the area,Northelies are rare too.

RWood wrote:I couldn't order the (gradient wind) directions here so categorically, would need more case-splitting, but the best are certainly Calm, WSW and ENE; the worst S/SSE.

i think alot of what you just said applies to your location michael and your local topography and how it affects your wind direction...
W winds are the 2nd most commen direction here, and we get plenty of NW winds
but you are correct in that true S winds are not very commen here...

I was talking really in terms of the "gradient" wind and the general level of associated weather, rather than that observed locally at ground level - for most of W'gton there is virtually nothing from a large part of the compass. This graph for Kelburn Met. says plenty about that.

http://www.niwascience.co.nz/ncc/cu/200 ... 0.gif/view

Bet that rose is different now,that was 17 years ago for the latest data,I remember as a kid in Wellington it was windy,and dull with lots of hill drizzel but since then its usually sunny and not that sort of wind,there on random visits

RWood wrote:I was talking really in terms of the "gradient" wind and the general level of associated weather, rather than that observed locally at ground level - for most of W'gton there is virtually nothing from a large part of the compass. This graph for Kelburn Met. says plenty about that.

http://www.niwascience.co.nz/ncc/cu/200 ... 0.gif/view

A few low-topped Cb's out there today thanks to a weak trough.. has produced the odd heavy shower about

Michael wrote:Bet that rose is different now,that was 17 years ago for the latest data,I remember as a kid in Wellington it was windy,and dull with lots of hill drizzel but since then its usually sunny and not that sort of wind,there on random visits

RWood wrote:I was talking really in terms of the "gradient" wind and the general level of associated weather, rather than that observed locally at ground level - for most of W'gton there is virtually nothing from a large part of the compass. This graph for Kelburn Met. says plenty about that.

http://www.niwascience.co.nz/ncc/cu/200 ... 0.gif/view

Differences I would expect to find - moderate (not huge) drop in speeds, and a greater proportion of gradient winds in the "dead" zones for us - ie more from both NE-ENE-E and SW-WSW-W. Also in a time sense, shorter duration of windy spells in the bad zones (NW-NNW, S-SSE-SE)

This frosty spell is similar to this time last year, when cold, frosty weather followed a cold southerly outbreak. However, last year anticyclonic conditions persisted over the South Island for a longer period, while pressures dropped in the north. This time, weather systems appear to be more mobile and disturbed southwesterlies look like predominating next week.

drove through a surprisinlgly heavy and squally shower with some small hail and gusty gale force winds.........I thought we had a ridge of high pressure in the area, LOL

Manukau heads observer wrote:drove through a surprisinlgly heavy and squally shower with some small hail this heavy and gusty gale force winds.........I thought we had a ridge of high pressure in the area, LOL

Yea we just had our 2nd squall. Strange eh?

Michael wrote:Bet that rose is different now,that was 17 years ago for the latest data,I remember as a kid in Wellington it was windy,and dull with lots of hill drizzel but since then its usually sunny and not that sort of wind,there on random visits

The real point is that we still get cold winds etc, BUT the rainfall comes in better-defined falls - ie there are many fewer days of a showery nature than in western coast locales (including Auckland of course), especially in recent decades.

Its called typical SW Auckland weather,no matter how anticyclonic or shallow the flow Auckland cops the lot if a high sits in the tasman,actually its better with a low in the tasman

Cameo1 wrote:

Manukau heads observer wrote:drove through a surprisinlgly heavy and squally shower with some small hail this heavy and gusty gale force winds.........I thought we had a ridge of high pressure in the area, LOL

Yea we just had our 2nd squall. Strange eh?

I think my guess of a "one-month wonder" winter still has a chance. NIWA will be hoping for a warming trend in the near future to get their seasonal prediction more on track (I'm relying on memory - they haven't posted it on their website yet, merely announced it in other media)

They have posted now - might be interesting to hear TonyT's opinion on their chances...