First Snowfall Warnings of 2018 Continued
First Snowfall Warnings of 2018 Continued
A complex low pressure system is set to cross central New Zealand during this evening, and behind it persistent heavy rain/snow and severe gales are expected to ease by the early hours of Wednesday morning.
However, as the low moves away to the east during Wednesday morning low level snow and heavy showers with possible isolated thunderstorms remain over parts of the North Island and northwest South Island.
Rain is forecast to turn to snow above 700 meters over the North Island overnight tonightwith the Desert Road and Napier Taupo Road looking to be affected by snow for a time overnight and early Wednesday morning.
Snow showers are also expected to continue above 500 meters for eastern regions of the South Island tonight and early Wednesday morining, however accumulations are not expected to be more than a few centimetres. Snow showers are expected to ease then clear from the south during Wednesday morning and rise to above 800 meters in the north by evening.
Cold overnight temperatures along with slick roads from recent rain could cause icy conditions on some roads over the South Island. Inland roads relatively sheltered from wind and nearing zero degrees will be most susceptible to ice formation tonight and into Wednesdaymorning.
A risk of thunderstorms and hail has been issued for the eastern coast of the South Island and North Island during Wednesday. This could mean brief surface flooding and poor visibly in heavy rain for any roads under risk.
This will be the last Road Advisory for this weather system.
HEAVY SNOW WATCH: possibility of Snow accumulations exceeding 10cm in 6 hours or equivalent
Central Plateau, including
Tongariro National Park and the Kaimanawa
Ranges
• Rain is expected to turn to snow
above 700 metres about the central North Island high country
tonight (Tuesday), then ease Wednesday morning.
• Snow
accumulations could approach warning amounts above 800
metres.
HEAVY RAIN WARNING: Rain accumulation of
100 mm in 24 hours or equivalent
Taranaki
and Whanganui
• Rain with heavy falls at
times, especially about Whanganui and southern parts of
Taranaki.
• Expect rainfall accumulations of 80 to
120mm,possibly more especially on Mt Taranaki. Peak
intensities of 15 to
25mm/hr.
Taihape
• Rain with heavy
falls and isolated thunderstorms are expected until around
midnighttonight.
• Expect 80 to 100mm of rain to
accumulate during this time, with peak intensities of 15 to
25mm/hr.
HEAVY RAIN WATCH: possibility for
100 mm accumulation in 24 hours or equivalent
Eastern Bay of Plenty Ranges
• 10
hours from 3:00 pm Tuesday to 1:00 am
Wednesday
Waitomo and
Taumarunui
• 10 hours from 3:00 pm Tuesday to
1:00 am Wednesday
Manawatu, Kapiti-Horowhenua,
Wellington and Wairarapa
• 6 hours from 3:00
pm to 9:00 pm Tuesday
SEVERE WIND WARNING: winds
reaching severe gale or gusting above
110km/h
Waikato, Auckland and the
Coromandel Peninsula
• Severe gale west to
southwest winds, gusting 120km/h, expected for a time this
(Tuesday) evening.
Taranaki, Kapiti Coast,
Wellington, Horowhenua, and the Marlborough
Sounds
• Severe gale southerlies gusting
120km/h in exposed places until around
midnighttonight.
SEVERE WIND WATCH: winds
possibly reaching severe gale or gusting above
100km/h
Northland
• Strong
to gale southwesterlies, may may reach severe gale for a
time this (Tuesday) evening, especially about and south of
Dargaville.
Bay of Plenty, Waitomo, Taumarunui,
Taupo and the central high
country
• Southerlies could reach severe gale
in exposed places from this (Tuesday) evening until early
Wednesday morning.
Gisborne
coast
• Southwesterlies may reach severe gale
in exposed coastal places for a time early Wednesday
morning.
Hawkes Bay coast
• Strong
southwesterlies may become severe in exposed coastal places
for a time this (Tuesday) evening until early Wednesday
morning.
Wairarapa
• Southerlies
could rise to severe gale for a time this (Tuesday)
afternoon and evening
ROAD SNOWFALL
WARNINGS
NAPIER-TAUPO
ROAD
• Rain may turn to snow in the early
hours of Wednesday morning.
• From around midnight
tonight until 6am Wednesday, 1 to 2cm of snow may settle
near the summit of the
road.
DESERT
ROAD
• Rain is expected to turn to snow this
evening, easing to showers Wednesday morning.
• From
about 9pm Tuesday to 9am Wednesday expect 10 to 15cm to
accumulate about the summit, with lesser amounts to 700
metres.
LEWIS PASS
• Snow easing to
snow showers this afternoon, however, snow showers likely to
persist about the summit until Wednesday
evening.
• From 2pm today (Tuesday) through to midnight
Wednesday, a further 2 to 5cm of snow may accumulate near
the summit with lesser amounts down to 500
metres.
ARTHURS PASS
• Snow should
ease early this evening, although further flurries are
likely during
• Wednesday morning. From 2pm through to
8pm this evening (Tuesday), a further 1
• to 2cm of
snow may accumulate near the summit with lesser amounts down
to 500
• metres. From 7am to midday Wednesday another 1
to 2cm is possible near
the
• summit.
PORTERS
PASS
• Periods of snow are expected until
midday Wednesday.
• From 2pm Tuesday through to midday
Wednesday, expect a further 10 to 20cm of snow to accumlate
near the summit with lesser amounts down to 400
metres.
LINDIS PASS
• Snow showers
are expected to return this evening, then ease Wednesday
morning.
• From 8pm this evening to 9am Wednesday 1 to
2cm may accumulate above 700 metres.
HAAST
PASS
• Snow showers are possible from this
evening until around dawn Wednesday.
• From 6pm today
until 6am Wednesday,1 to 2cm to accumulate near the
summit.
CROWN RANGE ROAD
• Snow
showers from 3pm through to midnight tonight
• Expect 1
to 3cm about the summit
MILFORD
ROAD
• Snow showers should ease early
Wednesday morning
• 2 to 5cm of snow may settle on the
road above 400
metres.