Polar Blast 19th to 21st June - Reports/Discussion

[Razor]

Snow settling on the port hills around me to about 100-200m

[ScottyD]

Actually weather watcher they predicted snow down to 200m with HEAVY falls above 300m. We haven't had any snow whatsoever overnight at 300m hence our frustration. Hope this helps

To be honest, I'm getting so frustrated with all the smart arse comments that a few people make. There's absolutely no need to do it. I like reading the posts on here and seeing what's happening in different areas of the country. I like reading throgh what people think might happen with our weather. What I dont want is to have to read through childish posts from members who should be mature enough to know better.

[spike_01]

Still cold and wet in Khandallah , Wellington..

[Orion]

A further 13mm precipitation here since yesterday, making 59mm for the event.
So far, because there's light rain again now.
2.1 degrees. Still patchy snow on the grass.

[NZstorm]

Great pics spwill of snow at Clarks Junction.

[Bradley]

Raining/sleeting here still with the odd flurry thrown in, strange that at 300m asl it isn't snowing but as said above it is settling on the port hills at 100m or 200m, perhaps that colder air will move its way NW over the next hour or 2...

[Richard]

Just talking a friend at Scargill who's at 100m and he's getting sleet with the odd flurry,i'm at near 200m and its only rain,dont know how that works

[Bradley]

Must be some colder air there towards the coast perhaps Richard?

[Manukau heads obs]

I agree with you scottiedavies
It needs to stop

[snowstormwatcher]

Just talking a friend at Scargill who's at 100m and he's getting sleet with the odd flurry,i'm at near 200m and its only rain,dont know how that works

The snow will be falling lower in the areas with heavy precipitation. Yesterday I drove though a heavy snow shower near Temuka at about 15m yet at home 100m asl is was just light rain and sleet.

Just emptied 69mm out of my gauge for the last couple days on top of the 130mm from earlier on in the week so nearly 200mm or a 3rd of our annual rainfall in a week.

[CHCH Weather Chaser]

Parents are in Hanmer and they said its snowed hard all night and still going.

[Nev]

Stuff.co.nz would have us believe it was worse than the Wahine storm
If I recall correctly wasn't a gust of 270 kph recorded in the Wahine storm

Stuff are talking (stuff and) nonsense!

Yes, the 270kph was unofficial due to instrument considerations but there's no doubt many hilltops would have been getting 250+kph gusts. At Kelburn (from memory) speeds averaged near 130kph for some time and gusted to 200kph. This time Kaukau managed 202kph. I have also responded directly to Stuff!

I think Hawkins Hill recorded gusts to 235 km/m during the 1968 Wahine storm. And yes, Kelburn had gusts to 198 km/h in 1968, compared to 141 km/h on Thurs (similar comparative speeds at the airport).

Re the 270 km/h, assume that's from Oteranga Bay, which flanks of the narrowest part of Cook Strait. One of the more plausible reports I've read had mean-winds of 181 km/h and gusts to 243 km/h at that site in 1968, compared to 181 km/h gusts at Brothers Island on Thurs. NIWA also notes that seaspray could affect Oteranga Bay's readings in gale onshore winds (presumably that means it was more likely to under-read?).


Also, here's a report by NIWA yesterday with some further comparisons about Thursday's storm…

'Storm information update (June 21)'

NIWA - Wgtn Aero max mean-winds since 1960 at Wgtn Aero.png

[melja]

So from that I can see 7 other years with a higher 10min avg than this last storm.
I see W/W saying this was the biggest storm on the planet at the time, I think this is the kind of reporting that needs to stop as the media get hold of it and make what the want of it.

[nick]

The longer term trend is interesting, I wonder if it represents technological changes or if its showing lower intensity storms less often, or if its not a trend at all.
Thats not weather watch's fault, assuming the statement is accurate the media should be portraying it as exactly what it is. A simple statement that the storm was the biggest at the time. It is a bit of a meaningless statement in some ways but thats not the point.

[Willoughby]

Bit of humour for Saturday!

http://www.thecivilian.co.nz/snow-watch-2013/

:03pm – Wellington: Airport has reopened and operating normally, once more allowing passengers to experience the sheer terror of flying into Wellington.

2:34pm – Christchurch: No snow. Some assorted sludge, mixed with the salty tears of Cantabrians who know the city came so, so close…

[melja]

Yes very funny read the above website

[brizwx]

Classic Willoughby. A bit more humour... here's an update of sorts from Tekapo (uploaded 13hrs ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFkfFztzrnI

[Manukau heads obs]

interesting graph there re welly airport Nev
I have seen similar reports that the windspeed at Kelburn is not as high as the goold ol days
(some of that is due to trees growing higher)
Certainly the 80's had bigger storms in this area than we have had since
(especially for westerly and NWerly gales)

[Inny Binny]

that graph seems pretty biased down the halfway mark

anyway, it's the heaviest rain of the system this morning and it could be yet another two inch day

[Razor]

Its just relentless here over 30mm already today and lining up 200mm for the week. Parts of chch in serious trouble now

[mikestormchaser]

heavy rain here in rolleston, very heavy at times. the main rain band sitting right over us and around west melton and inland. bit of sleet throwin in to

[Storm Struck]

In terms of my area in coastal low lying Canterbury it hasn't really lived up to be the big winter storm like other areas, however I cant complain as I got to see snow falling strong winds and well more of that wet stuff .
But for many areas its what they didn't need after recent rainfall and flooding so for those areas it would have been significant for sure and inland areas higher up where snow settled much deeper.
With a system like this over NZ you don't really get the same level of severity up and down the country due to the change in topography across many parts, and with that it can be so variable even over such short distances like today for example its only light rain here but 20 minutes west inland its chucking it down.

At the end of the day we are only one month almost into winter, give the country a week to dry up and look forward to further snowfall chances in the coming months

[LittleTreeHouse]

Surface flooding much worse than Thursday here in Southbridge.

[CHCH Weather Chaser]

I see its the wettest June jeff has recorded, infact its getting close to double of it! Fair pouring down now. As you say razor over 30mm for the day now and more to come. 215mm for the month!! (posted some photos earlier this morning of water around in June thread) that will only be getting worse and worse.

[melja]

Must be going to be a few dry months if some places have had 1/3 of there yearly rainfall in one month, just cant see to many more wet months again before the end of the year or chch will doulble its normal yearly rainfall.

Not as much rain out here with only 7mm today, 9mm yesterday and 18mm thur. im up to 180mm for the month so far. Still sleet fallng and 3C and its be there for 2 days now.