New Zealand / Weather

Snow dumps continuing in Canterbury

14:14 pm on 19 May 2024

Snow is expected to keep falling in parts of southern Canterbury on Sunday morning at altitudes above 500m. File photo Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton

Inland Canterbury areas have been covered in snow this morning.

A heavy snow warning is in place in inland Canterbury until 9am on Sunday.

  • If it has snowed where you are and would like to share photos with us, please email them to: iwitness@radionz.co.nz

MetService meteorologist Mark Todd said while snow settled in parts of northern Southland and Central Otago on Saturday, it was Canterbury's turn overnight and Sunday morning.

Snow on the ground in Tekapo on Sunday morning. Photo: Supplied / ScottyB

"Through to mid-morning we could see 15 to 20 centimetres of snow settling at altitudes above 500 metres in the southern parts of Canterbury south of the Rangitata River, including the Mackenzie Basin."

Todd said a decent amount of snow may also have settled on Lindis Pass.

MetService meteorologist Alwyn Bakker told RNZ while it was not unusual to see snow falling in the mountains in May, it was less usual to see it falling at lower altitudes.

Further west, the ranges of Westland District about and north of Mt Ward are subject to a heavy rain watch until midday.

The lowest temperature recorded this morning was in the Southland town of Lumsden, which was sitting at -3.2C.