More snow on the Kaimais was possible today after Western Bay school and kindergarten children had a once-in-a-lifetime experience yesterday as snow fell in the playgrounds.
The Bay of Plenty Times also had reports that snow fell yesterday in the Tauranga CBD and in Mount Maunganui.
As the 29 children
at Whakamarama and Districts Kindergarten settled in for morning tea the lunchboxes were quickly discarded and the gumboots and jackets put on, ready for an experience none of the three teachers could remember ever having before.
"We were looking out the window and it was snowing, it was just beautiful," said head teacher Joy Bryant.
The children's greatest concern was for the warmth of their two pet chickens, she said.
"The first place they went was down to the chickens to make sure they were all right.
"The children were just absolutely buzzing and just full of conversation about it."
The excitment was also brewing at nearby Whakamarama School where the 43 students enjoyed about 20 minutes of snow.
"It was falling down like cottonwool. It was just like fairyland and it was just beautiful and there was a very, very thin layer gathering on the school roof. At the time it was freezing outside, we couldn't stand out there for too long. They were just playing with all the falling flakes that were coming down."
Mrs Teal said one of the teachers who was in her seventh year at the school had never seen anything like it.
"It's quite unusual for us. It's very special and just a nice sort of bonus for the kids really."
Meanwhile, students at Aquinas College on Pyes Pa Rd enjoyed a brief scattering of snow about 1.45pm.
The students were excited but the snow melted quickly.
The children at Greerton Village School also got to play in the snow with two flurries during the school day.
Jocelyn McGillivray sent in pictures that she took on Kaitemako South Rd in Ohauiti overlooking the Papamoa Hills.
"The snow flakes were big enough to stand in and get on you, we turned white, but it would vanish when it hit the ground so you couldn't make a snow ball," she said
"We also had hail earlier this afternoon. And it is snowing again right now as well as hailing," she said at 4pm.
Temperatures in Tauranga reached 8C yesterday and hit an overnight low of 0C at 4am today. They had climbed to just 1C by 6am and the city was expecting a maximum today of 9C.
MetService duty forecaster Heath Gullery said today would be slightly warmer than yesterday.
Any showers this afternoon over the Kaimais could fall as snow.
Today may be 3C warmer but cold southwesterlies would still blow through the region tomorrow, Mr Gullery said.
On Saturday strong southerly winds would return to the region, he said.
Bitterly cold conditions from the polar outbreak forecast by the New Zealand MetService were set to continue until midweek.
The change in weather that saw snow fall in the Bay of Plenty "wasn't unexpected", a Federated Farmers spokesperson said.
"The MetService gave us a good heads up. They said it is a one-in-50-years storm. The last time weather like this hit was in Wellington 40 years ago."
Bay of Plenty farmers are mostly reporting a light dusting of snow.
"It's not very pleasant out there, it's very cold," John Scrimgeour, Bay of Plenty Federated Farmers president said.
"Lambing ewes were sheltering and coping very well and cattle by and large are coping. It's a help it's largely dry and there is not much rain, but it's a surprise to see light snow flurries."
On the Omanawa Road farm of Sylvie Taylor lambing is in full swing. "Yesterday we had snow flurries but we go around the lambs a couple of times a day and they are fine," she said today.
This morning she said the temperature was zero and they had a thick frost.
Crystal Radford, who works on the family farm set into the ranges in Katikati, said some snow had settled in the bush but by the time she went back to photograph it at 10am it had gone. Her mother Cheryl said it didn't affect the stock.
Having such an early warning had enabled farmers to shift vulnerable stock into sheltered paddocks and yards. Federated Farmers did not anticipate stock losses.
* If you have any snow photos you can send them to photos@bayofplentytimes.co.nz.
Forecast
Today: Fine. Cold southerlies. Max 9C. Min 0C.
Tomorrow: Fine. Cold southerlies. Max 13C. Min 3C.
Thursday: Fine. Southerlies easing. Max 14C. Min 3C.
Friday: Dry. Not much wind. Max 14C. Min 3C.
Saturday: Dry. Little wind. Max 14C. Min 3C.
Sunday: Dry with light winds. Max 15C. Min 4C.
