Complex Trough and Heavy Snow Event - 2nd-6th Oct

[Manukau heads obs]

30 to 40 knot NWer arrived here just after 10pm, and had been blowing like that all night
latest M/S MSLA forecast charts shows this low deepening quickly, so they have caught up on the GFS output now

[NZstorm]

I see the Met Service are saying up to 20cm snow for Hawkes Bay Ranges and Volcanic Plateau today/overnight. Looks like a warm advective snow scenario today.

[DT-NZ]

Steady, moderate to heavy at times rain falling at the moment ... strong nor westerly... a dull, grey, bleak looking day out there... may take a ride to see what the countryside looks like with all of this rain about... currently 15.5 C out.

[DT-NZ]

Have a localized MB over top now almost 4mins of it ... the rain is fair coming down in torrents... (I'm not kidding) heavy stuff.

[DT-NZ]

took a before and after pic(s) looking east... when the rain began to pass overtop of here moving E-SE

steady light rain fall now... with a light wind.... *yawns*

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[tich]

Showery on and off on BP today, brief small hail late morning, but no snow settling on hills yet.

[Tornado Tim]

Front going to hit Auckland soon and probably is now hitting Manukau heads.
Update: Happy birthday Vertigo!

[Manukau heads obs]

vicious frontal change about to arrive here
very gusty winds ahead of it, with a ligther SW change in behind coming in

[DT-NZ]

Had a torrential 10min microburst pass over @ 14:00hrs - zero visability.... took these pics... apologies in advance, unable to give rainfall amounts (my son has my rain guage) - white out conditions.

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[Lacertae]

Small hail now. Not much but ... wait and see !

[tich]

Sharp contrast in NI between cold airmass and warm one - Rotorua 14C at 3pm, but Taupo only 5C. Desert Rd already closed by snow and ice, and snow in Raetihi and Ohakune. (Trademe reports)
Dry here where I am on BP at present but that could change quickly with dark clouds around. Cold gusty southerly blowing.

[tgsnoopy]

Desert Rd, Waiouru to Ohakune and Napier to Taupo closed now. I hope my boss made it back from Napier ok.

[Michael]

NI Must be advection from the front hence its not happening furthur south ie away from the low centre.Wind has completley dropped now.

[NZstorm]

Taihape weather station web cam shows snow. The town is 430m elevation.

[Nev]

Had a torrential 10min microburst pass over @ 14:00hrs...

I see strong gusts up there generally peaked just before that time, but are you sure you don't mean a 'torrential downpour'? A 'microburst' being a strong, abrupt downdraft resulting in an outward burst of damaging winds on or near the ground that covers an area less than 4 km. The strong wind shears associated with a microburst also usually last 2–5 minutes, but can produce damage similar to that of a tornado and are often mistaken as such. And like tornadoes, they are usually (although not always) associated with thunderstorms.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

About 3 bits of hail about 3:40pm is all the precipitation we've had here in West Melton today
Came through a real steady wintry hail shower in Prebbleton on the way home from work at 1:40pm

JohnGaul
NZThS

[jamie]

Whats the link for the Taihape web cam?

Never mind i found it... looks like snow is going lower than MS were expecting. this is brilliant news for the ski fields but terrible news for the farmers up there. Maybe i will be going to the snow one last time this year

[tgsnoopy]

Two posts referring to it, but no links to the Taihape web cam.

Google is your friend

[tich]

Could almost be snowing in Taupo - down to 3C in latest obs. Cloudy here but still dry.

[Michael]

Does Taupo have snow,guess it could on the "mountain" near there and the hills across the lake.

[tich]

Mt Tauhara - 1000m asl. (Taupo about 350m) Should be snow on there by now. Napier-Taupo Rd is closed at Rangataiki, some 20km to southeast and about 700m.

[jamie]

southerly has hit tokoroa with a bang. temp is plummeting and even had a strong wind gust there. matamata has a plummeting temp as well so cant be to far away from hamilton

[tgsnoopy]

It's apparently now snowing in Taupo down by the lake.

[DT-NZ]

Had a torrential 10min microburst pass over @ 14:00hrs...

I see strong gusts up there generally peaked just before that time, but are you sure you don't mean a 'torrential downpour'? A 'microburst' being a strong, abrupt downdraft resulting in an outward burst of damaging winds on or near the ground that covers an area less than 4 km. The strong wind shears associated with a microburst also usually last 2–5 minutes, but can produce damage similar to that of a tornado and are often mistaken as such. And like tornadoes, they are usually (although not always) associated with thunderstorms.

Thank you Nev, correct it was a torrential downpour, and, now I know and have learnt an invaluable weather lesson today -that being able to identify and importantly observe, note the difference between a microburst and torrential downpour.

What I observed was a drop in temperature... wind increasing... and then the torrential downpour... I am learning, although slowly... I do appreciate your time and knowledge in which to share your wisdom... thank you, it is greatly appreciated by this weather newbie

[DT-NZ]

Update: Happy birthday Vertigo!

Happy Birthday Vertigo and I hope you had a great day... well.... after the rains of this afternoon... I went for walk out and here a gift from nature... the light is so beautiful after the rains... take care

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