As an extension to my best time to visit New Zealand article, I’d like to expand on the winter season in New Zealand and share with you what the snow conditions in New Zealand are like during winter. The snow was gone the following day, though, because the temperatures were too high to maintain snow on the mountains. The climate of New Zealand is varied due to the country's diverse landscape. Most regions of New Zealand belong to the temperate zone with a maritime climate characterised by four distinct seasons. However, it is its unique location what makes New Zealand climate so weird and unique.Due to its small size and unique location in th… Find out more about the different warning criteria at https://blog.metservice.com/2013/10/warnings-watches-and-outlooks/. The months of July and August typically see the most snowfall. Long-range snow maps are available to members. All rights reserved. You can find out how low the snow is falling on the mountains by going to the Mountains & Parks section on metservice.com. In the lee of the Southern Alps cold air remains over Southland, Otago and parts of Canterbury turning the rainfall (shown in blue) into snow (shown in white). Long range forecasts are available for members only!Sign up. For example, I took this picture of Hawkdun Range with snow in April, the location of which can be reached by driving on State Highway 85. Please see our partners for full details. Snow in New Zealand can start falling as early as late April.A dusting of snow on mountain tops is not an uncommon scene in April. List of all animated snow maps  |  Alternative static snow & weather maps, Terms of Service | Privacy Statement | Cookie Policy (edit) | © 2020, Snow-Forecast.com Ltd. All rights reserved, New snow f-cast 4-6 days top station, New snow f-cast 4-6 days mid station, New snow f-cast 4-6 days bottom station. Click the weather icon for a detailed weather forecast of any New Zealand ski resort or visit a resort’s “Full Report” for additional snow … The best New Zealand island to visit to see snow on mountains during winter is the South Island of New Zealand where the Southern Alps are located.. There are three main factors that need to combine for snowfall to occur: The cold air is important to keep the snowfall frozen as it reaches the ground while moisture and upward motion are needed to allow precipitation to form. See New Zealand ski resorts' open/closed operating status, upper mountain and lower mountain base depths, number of open lifts, and total amount of open acreage. [Photo: Snow on Cecil Peak in Queentown, New Zealand (50 KB)]. You can expect such events to take place the closer you get to June. While snow storms tend to hit the South Island – especially the lower half of the South Island – more than they do the North Island, you can expect ski fields in Central North Island to also get snow when a snow storm hits New Zealand. This information is provided for your own personal non-commercial use in accordance with the MetService website terms and conditions. Snow in New Zealand can start falling as early as late April. Snow forecast map for All New Zealand showing snow accumulation over the next 10 days and past 7 days, plus snow reports, live weather conditions and webcams. Pennsyltucky boys had a great day! * The southern areas of the country, particularly the Central Otago plateau, get snow almost every winter. In general, though, roads are clear of snow, and if they are not, snow plows tend to clear the roads early in the morning to keep important routes such as the one through Lindis Pass and Crown Range open. For example, I took this picture of Hawkdun Range with snow in April, the location of which can be reached by driving on State Highway 85.. However, the periods of snowfall in spring are far in between, and when the snow does fall, it comes down in large amounts. The photos used in the video were shot in June and July. I live in New Zealand. And while roads may be icy and slippery early in the morning, they tend to be clear of snow most of the time, because the snow generally falls at higher elevations and only occasionally reaches the ground in Queenstown. The heaviest snowfalls in New Zealand occur in two main situations. It is not usual to see that snow level dropping down below the mountains but when it does it can cause disruption to New Zealand’s public travel networks. These events have all the ingredients needed for snowfall. Symbols shown on the map: All New Zealand Ski Resorts, Mountain Peaks, Surf breaks, All New Zealand Cities, Tide forecasts, All snow, city, surf, tide forecasts, All New Zealand Current Temperature Observations, Current Wind Observations, Current Weather Observations, All New Zealand Live Webcams, New snow f-cast 1-3 days top station, New snow f-cast 1-3 days mid station, All New Zealand New snow f-cast 1-3 days bottom station, New snow f-cast 4-6 days top station, New snow f-cast 4-6 days mid station, All New Zealand New snow f-cast 4-6 days bottom station, Temperature below freezing, Resort fully open, All New Zealand Good piste, New snow reported, Powder reported, All New Zealand Snowing right now, Sunny, Runs to resort. I have lived in Christchurch my whole life and can attest that it does get cold. I’d like to correct that. Conditions vary from extremely wet on the West Coast of the South Island to almost semi-arid in Central Otago It does snow here. The persistent nature of the snow showers and cold air can however lead to some long lasting events. You can find out more about this event in this blog post. It's beautiful, you should visit. And because of the latter, ski fields remain open until early- to mid-October. Yes, winter in New Zealand is well known for its snow. Flying With Ski Gear: What You Need to Know, Summer Skiing Rocky Mountain National Park, Ikon Pass Announces Updates to 20/21 Season Passes, Top 10 Most Picturesque Ski Resorts in the World, Tips Up: Expert Advice on How to Buy Skis, Ski Resort Compare Tool: See Side-by-Side Stats. The freezing level rises and falls, so the amount of snow on mountains also varies as the freezing level varies. It is not usual to see that snow level dropping down below the mountains but when it does it can cause disruption to New Zealand’s public travel networks. Late May you can expect to get the odd day on which truck loads of snow can fall within a short period of time. Please enable JavaScript to access the following map views: All map types that you can enable here: All New Zealand Colour Base Map, Greyscale Base Map,  , All New Zealand Last 1-7 days snow, last 1-3 days snow, Next 1-3 days snow, All New Zealand Next 4-6 days snow, Next 6-9 days snow, Next 9-12 days snow, All New Zealand  , Snow, Wind, All New Zealand Temperature, Cloud Cover,  , All New Zealand Snow Depths at Top Stations, Snow Depths at all Resort Elevations, Fresh Snow Depths in Resorts, All New Zealand Snow Depths at Resorts above 1500m, Snow Depths at Resorts below 1500m, Temperature at 9am today (or yesterday), All New Zealand Days since last snow. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. The Mackenzie Country, where places such as Tekapo and Twizel are located, lies at a higher elevation and the weather seems a bit more stable there, although you don’t always get blue skies. The mountain tops tend to have snow on them and the snow pretty much stays there because the temperatures are low enough. Related Regions: Manawatu-Wanganui, Taranaki, Waikato, Otago, Nelson, Canterbury, Oceania, By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions. Please confirm all details Copyright © 2009-2020  New Zealand Travel Insider - All Rights Reserved Worldwide | Privacy Policy, Winter at Lake Pukaki and snow-covered Ben Ohau Range, Snow on Cecil Peak in Queentown, New Zealand, three methods for knowing whether it is snowing in New Zealand, 7 Best places to visit during winter to see snow. Check them out and get in quick, sale periods end October 31! Yes. Does it snow in New Zealand? [Photo: Winter at Lake Pukaki and snow-covered Ben Ohau Range (42 KB)]. This example from April 2015 shows a southerly feed across the country. The following video gives you an idea of what winter is like and what kind of snow conditions you can expect in New Zealand. The sun is harmful over here because there's a hole in the Ozone layer right above us. The photo of Lake Pukaki shown below was shot in July. The weather is crazy over here. In this example the low pressure system over the Tasman Sea is bringing warm, moist air down across the South Island.

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