- Chilly for everyone, and the coldest morning of the year for some
- Fun in the sun to come, but wetter weather ahead towards the weekend
August is kicking off with some proper winter weather, as a strong southerly blast brings showers of snow down to low levels early in the week. Clearing skies and gentler winds will then drop morning temperatures to what may well be the coldest day of the year so far for many places. The bluebird days won’t last long, however, as the next bout of wet weather approaches towards the end of the working week.
After a dusting of white on the higher hills over the weekend, this week opens with snow dropping even lower during Monday night and Tuesday in eastern parts of the country.
MetService meteorologist Silvia Martino suggests, “Keep your eyes peeled for flakes falling right down into town on Tuesday morning if you’re in Otago or Canterbury, and for a fresh frosting up on the hills by Wednesday morning for folks as far north as Gisborne.”
MetService has already issued Road Snowfall warnings for the Remutaka Hill Road (SH2), Lewis and Porters Passes, the Crown Range Road, and the Dunedin to Waitati Highway (SH1), and other roads in eastern parts may also be affected.
“Check the snow level in your regional forecast to prepare if you’re going to be driving, particularly in Dunedin and Christchurch on Tuesday morning, and keep up with any updates on road conditions from NZTA Waka Kotahi and local council or emergency management,” advises Martino.
Showers clear out for much of the country later on Tuesday, as building high pressure ushers in clear skies and lighter winds, bringing sunny days and frosty nights. Overnight temperatures are forecast to drop to the coldest of the year so far for many places around the motu from Wednesday morning onwards, with Thursday morning looking like the coldest of the week for most.
Martino notes, “Even for our coldest month of the year, these are exceptionally cold overnight temperatures. Whitianga and Hamilton are forecast to be almost ten degrees colder than average for this time of year on Thursday morning, at -3°C and -5°C respectively, and even the ‘winterless north’ is set to see frosty starts.”
The sunshine doesn’t last long, though, as our next burst of cloudy and wet weather approaches from the Tasman Sea at the end of the working week, so wrap up warm and get out in the sun while you can! For further information please contact:
Silvia Martino
Meteorologist
(04)4700 848
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