Blizzard warning for Canterbury

Early morning at the Chateau. Snow has blanketed Mt Ruapehu entirely. Picture / Jake Looney

Canterbury residents were warned to brace themselves yesterday as another heavy dumping of snow was forecast to add to already miserable conditions.

The MetService issued a new heavy snow warning for North Canterbury last night as power companies continued their battle to reconnect hundreds of homes that have been without electricity since last Monday's heavy snowfall.

"It won't be as bad as [last] Monday, but it will be more blizzard-type snow than before due to the strong, cold southerly that will accompany the snow," said forecaster Gerard Barrow.

But the snow is not all bad news in the North Island.

The snow depth on Mt Ruapehu is expected to reach one metre today, adding weight to predictions of the best ski season for the central North Island mountain in a decade.

Chairlifts are due to open this week at both skifields, following the opening of beginners' areas on Friday.

Ruapehu Alpine Lifts marketing manager Mike Smith said several hundred learners and tobogganers took to the slopes at the weekend, enjoying better weather than opening weekends in recent years.

"It's cold, but a nice sort of cold - pretty dry."

Mr Smith said this season was shaping up to be the best in the seven years he had worked at Ruapehu and possibly the best in 10 years.

The icy roads caused problems in the central North Island yesterday, with six accidents on State Highway 1 between Taupo and Turangi in the hour and a half from 8am.

No one was injured but Taupo police said cars left the road after drivers lost control in icy conditions. The road remained open as sun melted the ice during the day.

But the Desert Road and State Highway 4 between National Park and Raetihi were closed last night because of poor conditions. The MetService said the North Island could expect heavy showers today, which would ease by this evening.

Meanwhile, about 1000 Canterbury households were still without power last night and the weather had made work more difficult.

Timaru District Council communications manager Graeme Stilwell said the severe weather had left "everyone a bit gun-shy".

"There has been a rush on supermarkets this weekend, with everyone stocking up, just in case," he said.

For those still without power in Geraldine, Temuka and Timaru, motorcamps had offered people free showers. Mr Stilwell said Civil Defence had established teams equipped with a total of 18 generators to visit those without power to replenish their water supplies.

In Ashburton, apart from some remote and badly damaged areas, the majority of the rural distribution network was expected to be operational by late last night.

Get help, snowed-in southerners told

Snowbound South Islanders entering a second week without power are being told to get help rather than tough it out.

About 800 Alpine Energy consumers in South Canterbury were still without electricity last night, prompting chief executive Greg Skelton to warn: "For some, things are getting dire."

People should not try to tough it out, but contact civil defence at their local councils, he said.