Temperatures in the North Island have plunged to freezing overnight, with snow and crashes closing four state highways and motorists left with few travel options heading north.
The mercury sunk to a bone-chilling -3.7C on the Desert Rd and -2.4C in Waiōuru overnight, MetService meteorologist Ngaire Wotherspoon said today.
Temperatures in rural Auckland were close to freezing, with Ardmore down to just 0.3C and Whenuapai at 1.1C at 7.30am - although the central city was closer to 6C.
More snow showers are expected about the top of Wellington’s Remutaka Hill Rd in the coming hours and on the Desert Road today until lunchtime.
A steady stream of showers feeding into Wellington and Wairarapa this morning.
— MetService (@MetService) August 2, 2023
Snow showers expected about the top of the Remutaka Hill Road (SH2) for a few more hours. pic.twitter.com/FYpupL7mIU
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency said the road remained closed between Rangipo and Waiōuru because of the snow this morning.
State Highways 4 and 47 have also closed - a truck has rolled on SH47 National Park to Tūrangi, while SH4 Tohunga Junction to Manunui was closed since 3.30am because of a truck crash. Nobody was injured in the crashes, police said.
MANAWATŪ-WHANGANUI/ WAIKATO - INCIDENTS - 6AM
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Central North Island (@WakaKotahiCNI) August 2, 2023
SH4 Tohunga Junction to Manunui is CLOSED since 3:30am last night due to a truck crash. SH47 National Park to Turangi is also CLOSED at 5:35am this morning due to a truck roll. Please consider your journey. pic.twitter.com/aSqykHAtFu
But police said one person died in a crash at the Onaero Bridge, between Urenui and Motunui, this morning.
The two-car crash was reported at 6.40am.
“One person was seriously injured and transported to hospital.
“State Highway 3 remains closed near the Onaero Rd intersection and there are no diversions in place.”
SH3 URENUI, TARANAKI - CRASH - 7:25AM, THU 3 AUG
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Central North Island (@WakaKotahiCNI) August 2, 2023
Due to a serious crash that has been reported to emergency services, SH3 near Onaero River Rd is currently CLOSED. Road users are advised to delay their journey or use an alternative route. ^JP pic.twitter.com/o5wPz6dGSN
In South Island, a slip had caused State Highway 6 near the Upper Buller George to shut this morning.
The highway has been closed north of the Little Deep Creek Bridge, Waka Kotahi said.
“Consider an alternative route or delay your journey. SB traffic turn left onto SH65, left onto SH7, right on SH69 or continue on SH7. Reverse for Northbound traffic.”
SH6 UPPER BULLER GORGE - SLIP - 11:10AM, THU 3 AUG
— Waka Kotahi NZTA Top of the South (@WakaKotahiTotS) August 2, 2023
Due to a slip, SH6 is CLOSED north of the Little Deep Creek Bridge. Consider an alternative route or delay your journey.
SB traffic turn left onto SH65, left onto SH7, right on SH69 or continue on SH7. Reverse for NB traffic. ^JP pic.twitter.com/kUrUXK0MOF
In Wellington, snow closed State Highway 2 on Remutaka Hill last night from 10pm to 11.20pm, Waka Kotahi said.
“Winter driving conditions apply and we continue to urge drivers to take extra care on roads across the region this morning.”
A social media post from Urenui School warned of “very slippery” black ice on the bridge. Nearby New Plymouth reached -0.5C last night, which MetService’s Wotherspoon said was unusually cold for the area.
“They’re normally quite windy. Wind mixes up the atmosphere so stops those really cool, calm temperatures.”
Cold temperatures usually came from the ground cooling the atmosphere but in this case the chilly temperatures were caused by freezing southerly winds, Wotherspoon said.
Normally balmy Whitianga had 0.5C, about 6C lower than usual for this time of year. Temperatures in Auckland were also close to freezing, with Ardmore getting down to 0.3C at 7.30am, while Whenuapai was down to 1.1C.
The coldest settlement in the country was St Arnaud in Nelson Lakes, with the tiny alpine village getting -5C overnight, while Tekapo got down to -3.3C.
However Wotherspoon said temperatures in the South Island were quite normal for this time of year, whereas the North Island’s chill was unusual.
Federated Farmers national board member Toby Williams told the Herald the only major concern in alpine regions such as central North Island in terms of snowfall and plummeting temperatures is if the snow hangs around for a number of days.
”Heavy snowfall covers all grass so stock have less opportunity to eat.
”If snow hangs around four to five days and it doesn’t melt, it is hard to feed animals but at this stage it looks like a short storm.”
Williams said in central North Island regions it was not uncommon to have snow each year.
”They are not lambing or calving so I don’t imagine any stock losses. It is just a matter of hunkering down and checking in on your stock, that they are fed and have water.”
Williams said farmers had been well-prepared by keeping an eye on the forecast.
A MetService heavy snow watch for Wairapapa was to end at 9am today, while watches for Taihape and Clutha, Southland and Fiordland lapsed by 9pm yesterday.
A heavy swell warning for Wairapapa, where waves were likely to reach six metres last night, ended at 11am today. Two road snowfall warnings, on the Desert and Remutaka Hill Rds, were also planned to end this morning.
Strong wind watches remained for coastal Marlborough, Wellington and Wairarapa south of Featherston until noon and for the Chatham Islands until 10am tomorrow.
In Auckland, isolated showers today were to end before dawn, MetService forecast, and the city was tipped for a high of 13C.
It marks a stark contrast to yesterday, when 14 weather watches and warnings were in place with the triple threat of snow, gales and thunderstorms lashing the country.
Winds reached speeds of 110km/h on Auckland’s harbour bridge around 5pm, while exposed easterly areas such as Lyttleton and Kaikōura were hit with gusts of around 100km/h overnight, according to Wotherspoon.
Flights were also diverted from Wellington Airport where overnight gusts were hitting 95km/h.
MetService said a ridge of high-pressure was forecast to push over the country from the west today, “heralding a more settled end to the week”, according to meteorologist David Miller.
In Wellington, where snow was expected to fall down to 400m in the morning, a high of 9C was forecast.
A showery day was forecast for Christchurch, along with snow down to 400m, until turning to fine spells in the afternoon with a high of 10C.
In Dunedin, where snow flurries fell in the city centre yesterday, possibly heavy showers were forecast with more snow down to 200m and strong southeasterly gusts. A high of 8C was forecast.
The Interislander cancelled four ferry sailings yesterday and one this morning.
The Crown Range Rd and the Milford Rd - where there was a risk of an avalanche near the Homer Tunnel - were closed yesterday but have since reopened.
MetService recorded 1866 lightning strikes in the North Island yesterday and 2506 in the South.
Snowfall at Queenstown Airport delayed flights, forcing the crew to shovel snow to get the airport running again.
MetService said snow fell as low as 200m above sea level in some parts of the South Island.
Huge 6m waves were expected to pummel the coast from Wairarapa’s Cape Palliser to Mataikona overnight before easing below MetService’s warning criteria by midday today.
Hundreds of homes around the North Island, meanwhile, were without power with electricity provider Powerco showing properties in the Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Manawatū and Wellington in the dark.
In the city of sails, meanwhile, a Ports of Auckland radio tower came down on Devonport’s Mt Victoria, probably because of the wind, a port spokesperson said.
Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022.
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