Unseasonable snow in Queenstown
Queenstown's higher peaks got their second dusting of unseasonable snow yesterday, resulting in midsummer vistas that could have easily been mistaken for wonderful winter scenery.
Ondrej Machotka, of the Czech Republic, surveys the unseasonable snowfall that hit the Lakes District's highest peaks yesterday. Image by GRANT BRYANT/Fairfax NZ
MetService meteorologist Derek Holland yesterday said the snow and ice were the result of a late southerly change and were likely to melt off today or tomorrow.
A front dragging cold air behind it could bring scattered snow showers down to 1500 metres on Mt Ruapehu, the only other place in the country likely to mimic, if weakly, the south's temporarily icy conditions.
However, the chance of more summer snow for southern peaks was slim, as an anticyclone would be warming temperatures throughout late January and February, Mr Holland said.
The snowfall is the second around Queenstown this summer, after a light dusting also covered the mountains last weekend.
While snow had not settled in the Remarkables Ski Area car park yesterday, a quick half-hour hike to Lake Alta - which is usually heavily iced over and covered with snow during the ski season - revealed a dramatic change to the usual summer alpine conditions there.
The tussock, which is usually thronging with grasshoppers, was buried under a thin dusting of snow and icicles had formed on many rocks and overhangs.
Tramper Ondrej Machotka, of the Czech Republic, said encountering snow was unexpected.
"We would expect snow and ice at home at this time of the year ... but that's a hemisphere away, and it's a real surprise to get it here in the middle of summer."
No snow settled on Coronet Peak, but dustings had settled on Cecil Peak and big falls were visible on the Richardson and Harris Mountains west of Queenstown and Wanaka.
NZSki sales and marketing manager Craig Douglas said it was too early in the year to take the midsummer snow as any indicator of whether a bumper winter was on its way.
By GRANT BRYANT
