Oh no, not again!

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Tue 24/08/2004 09:54

Light flurries continuing intermittantly in the central city, however not heavy enough to even dampen the ground, let alone settle. Obviously heavier to the east, eg Southshore. I notice the dusting on the Port Hills seems to get lower to the east - lowering from about 400m to 200-250m I guess.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Tue 24/08/2004 11:41

Temperature is climbing, about 5C now, but still the odd flake. This reminds me of another 'dry' snow event back in September 1997, when flurries occured in Chch intermittantly for a good part of the day, even though the temperature was up around 4-5C and the flakes didn't even dampen the ground, and only settled on the higher Banks Peninsula hills. (though today, I think the snow level on BP is alot lower)

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Tue 24/08/2004 14:44

Chch has changed to a more showery situation since midday with showers and brief sunny intervals - the airflow must've tilted more to the south. The showers are of rain and sleet, and the thermometer hasn't risen since the snow flurries of the morning - I think the moister air now means that the snow isn't persisting into the higher temperatures as it falls.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Tue 24/08/2004 19:49

My parents have just got back from 3 weeks holiday in Oz this afternoon - they left a 25C Sydney (4 days before they were in 30C+ Darwin), and arrived back in 4C Chch with passing sleety showers. I phoned them a few minutes ago after they reached their Akaroa home. They claimed the snow depth at (470m) Hilltop was about 60cm! And was lying down to about 200-250 metres. From what I saw on the news tonight, I can believe them. The graders are doing a great job keeping that road open.[/quote]

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Tue 24/08/2004 20:17

60cm!! Lets open the Bank's Peninsula ski feild!!

I believe it to as I also saw the news, the graders were going back and forth quite a bit. This morning I had a thought, I was like "If I was a cameraman I would head strait to the hilltop before Akaroa", and guess what, that's exactly where the news crew from 3 went.

Hail showers on and off throughout the day, only small. Had some good rain not to long ago. Snow stopped around mid morning from what I gather in Chch, obviously continuing on B'sP. Ah, there goes the rain again!

Andy · Unread post by **Andy** » Tue 24/08/2004 20:35

Keep up the posts coming in from Chch abd Dunners

Good work

Cheers

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Tue 24/08/2004 20:43

Exciting stuff indeed.

It sucked being the only active Dunedin person on this forum over the last few days as no one else was experiencing the snowy conditions like me. It was like having Xmas, but all on your own

I got picked up by a 4WD around 11am this morning just to get to work. Remember I am only at 200m. The flurries stopped around mid afternoon.

Andy · Unread post by **Andy** » Tue 24/08/2004 20:48

How much snow do have at your place Phil?

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Tue 24/08/2004 20:58

Andy wrote:How much snow do have at your place Phil?

A beautiful fine day here in Omarama, once again. I basked in warm sunshine all day. Gotta love the MacKenzie Biosphere.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Tue 24/08/2004 21:18

Thickness over the South island and lower North Island today have been around 5300. This figure on its own suggests snow to about 1000m.
But freezing levels are in the 2-300m vicinity with snow levels very low.
hence another good example of where thickness can be unreliable in predicting low level snowfall.

I heard a radio report around middle of the day of 1m snow on top of Banks Peninsula. Ties in with Ben's 60cm at 470m.

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Tue 24/08/2004 21:26

At 8.30 this morning we had over 15cm on the top of the BBQ.

My partner calls me a freak but was out there in her jarmies measuring the snow with the digital calipers (yes ok, I bought her digital capilers

, they weren't for measuring snow though

).

No more now. The paths and roads are mostly clear but there would be still about 5cm on the lawns, hedges and deck.

Currently 1.6C

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Tue 24/08/2004 21:58

I heard a radio report around middle of the day of 1m snow on top of Banks Peninsula.

About the top of BP (600m+) there most probably would've been a fair amount of snow still lying from the previous event, as I saw on Mt Herbert on Sunday. But probably only patches left at Hilltop on Sunday, so the 60cm would be what has fallen since Monday. I guess it's still snowing out there, as we've just had another sleety shower in the city, and my outside thermometer (sheltered from the rain) shows only 3C. Probably the thickest peninsula coating since 1992, plus the most number of snow days (4) in the city for August since then either.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Wed 25/08/2004 09:50

Some light rain this morning; only liquid stuff (though just 2-3C) in the central city, but a fresh dusting of snow above about 350m on the Port Hills.