Polar Blast 23-26th July

[Skywatcher]

The highest temp I recorded yesterday was 3.7°C at 22:51, during daylight it was 2.8°C.

At one point I thought it might beat the lowest max I've recorded in the last 9 years which was 2.5°C on 5/7/2003.

This morning's low was -5.2°C.

[Michael]

Whats the lowest ever maximum for Christchurch?

[David]

Got down to 0.7C here at 3:20am (not a record), but then it went up again. A pity because the rate it was falling at we would have had -1 this morning. Not sure why it went up, perhaps cloud cover?

[03Stormchaser]

Tried to get outta my drive, that was sketchy enough. Couldn't even drive onto the road car skidded round to much, will give it another go at 9am!

[cantygal]

Apparently yesterday was the coldest day in Christchurch since 1918. It was 1.9 yesterday and in 1918 it was 1.2?

[mikestormchaser]

yess im at home this morning, late start if at all. the roads are just not even worth going on to be honest. heard so many people spinning there wheels on the road and just seeing it im not going out atm as much as id love to get out and check out some the suberbs with the snow!!

[Captain Salty]

same here, the tire tracks down the middle of roads look ok but plenty of thick ice at the sides of intersections etc are trapping cars. bring on the NWer

[TonyT]

Apparently yesterday was the coldest day in Christchurch since 1918. It was 1.9 yesterday and in 1918 it was 1.2?

I'm not sure thats correct, as the temp appears to have risen higher than that in the evening. As far as I could tell from Cliflo stats for Chch Aero, the coldest maximum for that site (back to the 1950s) was 1.7 in August 1992, and the coldest July maximum was 3.3 in 1959. We'll just have to wait and see what the maximum was for 25th July 2011 and reasess.

[spwill]

MT Hutt ski field receiving just 4cm of snow from the event.

[Captain Salty]

i read they got 15cm yesterday. that may be on the upper slopes though

[Dean.]

MT Hutt ski field receiving just 4cm of snow from the event.

Apart from North Canterbury this storm for the rest of Canterbury was very coastal.
Pretty much a fine weekend for us apart from scattered cloud at times and a very cold wind.
Fingers crossed for a more onshore flow next time.

[Nev]

Apparently yesterday was the coldest day in Christchurch since 1918. It was 1.9 yesterday and in 1918 it was 1.2?

I'm not sure thats correct, as the temp appears to have risen higher than that in the evening. As far as I could tell from Cliflo stats for Chch Aero, the coldest maximum for that site (back to the 1950s) was 1.7 in August 1992, and the coldest July maximum was 3.3 in 1959. We'll just have to wait and see what the maximum was for 25th July 2011 and reasess.

Yes, I was wondering about that also. The 1.9C was reported to have been Chch's highest daytime temp yesterday to 5pm, although according to MS's website, Chch Aero reached 2.1C well before then. It continued to rise to 5.0C before midnight, then apparently plummeted to -6.3C early this morn.

The 1918, July 21st, T-max of 1.2C was recorded at Chch Gardens and would've been for the 24 hrs to 9am the following day. There are also plenty of incidences where Chch has recorded 24 hr T-maxs well below 5.0C, including 1.4C at Chch Gardens in June, 1919. It's also not that unusual for eastern S.I. areas to record higher night-time temps than the preceding day.

[Skywatcher]

Went for a walk round the township in the sunshine before the high cloud thickened this afternoon.

Panorama of the Port Hills from Kirk Road.

[Skywatcher]

Terra satellite image showing limit of snow cover in Canterbury.

Source: NASA/GSFC, Rapid Response. (http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subs ... NewZealand)

[Captain Salty]

Haven't read the raingauge yet. Wait until the event is over then melt it all into the glass.

Does metservice do the same?

[Richard]

MT Hutt ski field receiving just 4cm of snow from the event.

That's sounds more like it, on the radio this morning had some bugger from up saying they had 10cm,i thought "no way"

[Orion]

Terra satellite image showing limit of snow cover in Canterbury

Great image: thanks for posting.

[mikestormchaser]

just for interest guys, decided to try and take a trip up the port hills this afternoon get an idea of what the city looks like from above, unfortunatly couldnt get up there yesterday because of the snow so this is the next best thing.
Enjoy!!

[03Stormchaser]

Nice photos there Mike, witnessed a couple accidents on th way to work all at low speed tho so nothing to serious.

[tich]

Fine sunny day in Wellington; still a good white coating on Rmutakas across the harbour, but all melted (was there ever much anyway?) from hills above the city, eg Mt Kakau.
Strange sleet shower (or tiny bits of hail) in Tory Channel as I was crossing over to Picton on ferry about 4.30-5pm this afternoon - only thin high cloud at the time and a fresh northwesterly wind. (a cold one though)

[tgsnoopy]

Pretty cold crossing the Kaimai's this morning. Lots of Frost visible right up to the edge of the road over most of the hills where it was shaded. The steeper shaded bits coming up from the Waikato side had the left lane closed causing frustration for motorists stuck behind trucks. Saw truck wheels spinning at one point.

The day was beautiful, No snow observed on Pirongia or Mt Te Aroha.

Traditionally we don't get our snow dump on the Kaimai's & Mamaku's until late in the season, August or Early September, so fingers crossed for a Southerly affecting us a bit later in the season.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Haven't read the raingauge yet. Wait until the event is over then melt it all into the glass.

Does metservice do the same?

No.

JohnGaul
NZThS

[Tornado Tim]

3.0°C and lightly raining here, I wonder if it was a bit colder would it be sleeting?

[Manukau heads obs]

but that would only be a shallow surface cold layer Tim
its 10C here with onshore windflow

[Tornado Tim]

Yea I was wondering about the upper air temp, potential for freezing rain then (if the cold layer was fairly big)?
Or if the rain thats fallen, freezes (black ice)?