New Zealand Forecast – Nor’westers Next Few days, Potential Powdermonium Next Week!
Published early Friday, 26th July 2024
Northwest winds will blow over the South Island during Friday and the weekend as a front moves onto the bottom of the country. Treble Cone will receive the lion’s share of rain and high-level snow showers as they spill over the Main Divide. Some of those showers will show up elsewhere in the Southern Lake from time to time and also in Canterbury on Sunday as the front finally moves over the country, leaving clear skies behind it.
Then, on Monday, a slow-moving low in the Tasman Sea will flirt with the South Island, sending an atmospheric river of moisture down over the country while a cold airmass reaches the lower South Island. The result: heavy snowfall to low levels for the Southern Lakes and mostly heavy rain and high-level snow for Canterbury.
Well, that’s how current forecasts pick it, but all that can change in a heartbeat, as small changes in the position of these weather features could lead to massive changes in the forecast. The cold airmass is expected to reach Canterbury on Tuesday or even Wednesday for their turn of powdermonium, from which time snowfalls will start to ease over the Southern Lakes.
Friday 26th July
A mostly cloudy day for the Southern Lakes, where light showers of rain and high-level snow develop on Treble Cone in the morning. A few light showers might also show up in the afternoon at the other Southern Lakes resorts. Canterbury will just have some high cloud overhead. NW winds will be fairly strong in exposed areas.
Saturday 27th July
Another cloudy one for the Southern Lakes, where light showers of rain and high-level snow hitting Treble Cone will turn up at the other resorts from time to time. Snow levels will lower to near-base levels at night. Fine weather for Canterbury with a bit of high cloud. N-NW winds will be gusty for the Southern Lakes.
Sunday 28th July
Cloud over the Southern Lakes and snow showers on Treble Cone will gradually clear for a fine afternoon as N-NW winds turn to a lighter SW.
Strong, gusty NW winds in Canterbury will blow in some light rain showers and high-level snow to some resorts, particularly those closest to the Main Divide. That’ll clear during the latter half of the day as winds ease and turn W-SW.
Monday 29th July
Snow spreads over the South Island with heavy falls likely. It will fall to low levels in the Southern Lakes where cold winds from the E-SE will blow. But it’ll likely turn to rain about mid-lower slopes of Canterbury before lowering again overnight, as strong, gusty northerlies turn to a colder southerly.
Extended Forecast
After the big snowstorm, which lasts until Thursday the 1st or Friday the 2nd of August, the forecast is still very much up in the air. It all depends on what the slow-moving low in the Tasman decides to do – it could cross either the North Island or somewhere near the South Island, which would lead to drastically different weather outcomes. So, I’ll save more details for Monday’s forecast, as anything at this point is pure conjecture.
That’s all from me today, folks. The next forecast is Monday. See you then, and have a great weekend.
Grasshopper
