New Zealand Forecast – Powder Day for Canterbury, A Little More Snow in the Forecast for the Southern Lakes & Ruapehu
Mountainwatch |The Grasshopper
Published early Friday, 9th of August 2024
Pull some strings if you’re in Canterbury and head up the hill today, as it’s a powder day. The snow started dumping here as expected yesterday, and now resorts are reporting some juicy numbers this morning.
Mt Hutt takes the cake with a hefty 43cm of fresh powder, while Porter’s Pass reports 10-15cm down low and 25cm up high. Ohau in the south of the Mackenzie Basin has had a 30cm dump, while Mt Lyford in the north is reporting 8cm with another 10-20cm still to fall throughout the day. With a sunny day lined up for Saturday, lift queues are guaranteed to be long, but it’ll be well worth it.
The Southern Lakes and Mt Ruapehu have also had a wee top-up, with numbers ranging between 3cm and 8cm. The Southern Lakes will have stunning weather today and Saturday, while Mt Ruapehu will pick up another similar-sized top-up from snow showers later today into early Saturday.
Winds will rise to gale over the South Island on Sunday and on Mt Ruapehu on Monday while a pair of fronts move up the country, bringing showers of rain and snow. Most resorts will receive at least a dusting of snow, but up to 10-15cm could accumulate on the upper slopes of the Southern Lakes and Mt Ruapehu.
Friday August 9th
A sunny blue-dome day for Southern Lakes resorts, with light NE breezes dying out in the afternoon.
For Canterbury, the Mackenzie resorts will be clear, sunny and calm. The other resorts will be cloudy and murky, with snow continuing to fall throughout the day in the north for Mt Lyford, while S-SE winds gradually ease.
Southerly winds gradually pick up on Mt Ruapehu, with light snow showers getting started around midday.
Saturday August 10th
A fine day for all South Island resorts, but the Southern Lakes will have some high clouds overhead. Light W-NW breezes develop.
Light snow showers clear Mt Ruapehu in the morning for a sunny afternoon, while Southerly winds gradually ease and turn southeast.
Sunday August 11th
NW winds strengthen over the South Island, reaching gale force in exposed areas.
The Southern Lakes will have a partly cloudy day with a few light snow showers about mid-upper slopes in the early morning. Snow will return later in the afternoon, although it’ll likely be wet on the lower slopes.
In Canterbury, high cloud will increase in the afternoon, and there will be a few snow showers up high at night.
Ruapehu will have a cloudy afternoon with light snow showers while westerly breezes pick up.
Monday August 12th
Strong westerly winds over New Zealand will be blowing a gale in exposed places. A front moving over the country will gradually turn winds to the southwest, but they’ll remain strong.
The front will bring light snow showers to the Southern Lakes in the morning and Canterbury in the afternoon.
Mt Ruapehu will have snowfall throughout much of the day, peaking around midday/afternoon, but it will mostly be wet on the lower slopes.
Extended Forecast
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the weather will be mostly clear for NZ resorts, and the winds will settle down as a high drifts onto the tip of the country.
Another weather system will likely affect the country through the back half of next week, with some wild and hairy conditions likely. It’s too early to give any details on this as models are all over the show, but suffice it to say that some snow is likely to fall on most resorts at some point. I should have more details in the next forecast on Monday.
That’s all from me today, folks. Have a great weekend.
Grasshopper
