an even slower start

Thought autumn and winter was slow to start last year?

looking at the temporary Knoll cafe from the new one

Aside from a holiday to Melbourne at the beginning of May (when it was freeeeeeezing) it just hasn't felt cold. Keep telling myself that autumn is a tease anyway, but things not feeling "right" were confirmed when it was reported to be the warmest May in NZ since records began.... wetter and 2.5'C warmer than normal. Now it's looking like the warmest June on record.

Other indicators of the warmness are:

• constantly overdressing for work since my return from my Australia holiday
• no frost on my car (while it is rare, there might have been at least one occurance by now)
• not even looked at my board, nor got it out for the pre season wax
• only one pre season jaunt to the National Park after an earlier snowfall 

The recent cold fronts just didn't happen last weekend, there is another predicted for this weekend, please please please snow.

... the start of something??again?

I know we moan about it every year, and generally the snow/trails are pretty crap (except for the good days)... but to be starting from scratch is pretty worrying. Turoa was supposed to open this weekend but has now moved to July 2nd, same day at Whakapapa.  South Island ski fields have all postponed their openings til further notice.

sneak peak, sun's out

view from the east, snow over the Desert Road

Whakapapa view

Credit: Volcano Cameras - Geonet.org.nz

Turoa view

pre-season sojourn

Slept in again! We were supposed to leave before dawn on Saturday morning, but got up when the first tui cracked outside at 7am. (the bird, not the beer) We were supposed to get moving early because Saturday was going to be the best of the long weekend. Nevermind, we can pack pretty quick, and were on the road and in Ohakune at lunchtime. We had beautiful clear drive, and caught glimpses of Whakapapa from as far north as Taumaranui township.

Raurimu view

To make the most of the warm clear weather before it closed in, we drove back around to Whakapapa, and met some friends from Taupo for a walk over there. At the Round the Mountain Track entrance on Bruce Road, we cruised over to the closest ridgeline and then dropped down into the valley to the Whakapapaiti Hut. It got "dark" early as the clouds started rolling in and the clouds started making shapes hinting at the windy weather to come.

Saturday night we cooked a big  feed and consumed red wine by the fire before heading up to the Junction to consume some more. We caught up with winter friends and even some Auckland friends who were in the neighbourhood too. I hope the snow gods were happy, cos the next day my head hurt!

Sunday and Monday were ditto days. Waking up just before dawn each of those days as we thought the old railway house we stayed in was going to blow inside out. The wind seemed to peak in the morning, and it felt like everytime we wanted to venture outside it would rain. By Monday our house mates grumbled "it's too early for cabin fever!" Sundays webcams were not a pretty sight, looking at the rain washed the ridgelines... Mountain streams in town were swelling with rain... BUT the weather maps were looking much more promising for Monday/Tuesday when a snowier looking weather system would hit the north overnight. You could feel a brr in the air (wind change and temp drop) all day Monday...

break in the weather

TYPICAL! It snows after we leave town, AND it snows in town. The Desert Road in the east has closed and word of mouth reports this morning are snow in Whakapapa village and snow flurries falling on Railway Row, Ohakune. Keep it coming.

Ohakune Cam 10.30am 8-June

Whakapapa - Geonet cam

autumn snow update

Last week in Auckland we had some rain of all rains over 2 days which well and truly broke the drought. This was followed by another weather system bringing more rain and flooding to part of the South and North Islands. Along with that there has been snow falling on all mountains and with the rain now moving off we have more snow now. This is today's weather map at 7am this morning....

Reports coming in today show Ruapehu cleared with a glorious sunrise this morning showing off her new skirt of snow. A decent dusting of 15cm down around the level of the Giant Chair at Turoa, and the Knoll Webam at Whakapapa is all white. There are flurries of snow falling and trying to nestle in Wanaka's streets, which sounds good for up high. Both Treble Cone and Cardrona nearby are reporting snow falling at their base area's, as is Porters on Facebook just now. On the news this morning they were reporting chains required at Lindis Pass, and one will also need to watch out for Porters Pass. Basically autumn/winter has hit all over, so we finally have some decent feeling snow action!!

Geonet volcano cam - Whakapapa, Ruapehu

an Ohakune Cam - Turoa, Ruapehu

Weather Watch:

• in Ruapehu Region, Met Service says there should be snow falling to 1000m - and below - over the weekend. (that's below ski area level)
• Met Service says the heaviest snowfalls are expected overnight for inland parts of Canterbury and North Otago overnight.

Waiting...

Mild temps continue to rock on. Still hovering around 20 degree highs most days in AK. Although we have had a temperature drop of sorts, and some coolish streaks (sometimes reaching for the extra blanket) it still does not feel like we have had THE icy autumn blast.

I spent a couple of days in Nelson and Blenheim last week. 23 degrees when we landed in Blenheim. Cooled to about 4 degrees overnight, but it was calm and clear. Running past the vineyards in the morning there was a touch of fog around, and I soon overheated in the sunlight with my thermal on. Later that same day in Nelson I could hear cicadas!! See, they think it's still summery.

view from the kitchen over my morning coffee

The MetService long range forecast is as follows for Ruapehu region. Lets see what eventuates later in the week. Freezing level 2400 on Friday means we might see some snow action round the top lifts down to the base area, 1700 on Saturday means we might see some action round the base areas..... ??

after the storm

After the big snow, my lovely other half snuck away on the Wednesday for a day of fresh snow, wicked lines, and an all round awesome day... while I was stuck at work. There was still a lot of snow around, plenty down to the one lane bridge on the Ohakune Mountain road. And the trees, oh the weight of the snow (and lack of wind) brought many branches down and leaning over the road.

here is a movie (I think made by mountain staff) coming down the Ohakune Mountain road and into the tree line before the snow and trees were cleared and it reopened on Wednesday.

Well, it was another sketchy weather forecast for the weekend but we headed down. So Saturday the 10th rolled round and the mountain was CLOSED. It was windy and snowing up at Turoa again tho. Many people like us had taken the drive for a look and see what was going on up there. Those even more committed were hiking up the Sisters (above the Alpine Meadow) and taking various means of sliding down.

Alpine Meadow @ Turoa

Sunday 11th: It was snowing as we headed up the Ohakune Mountain Road to Turoa... and then cleared to blue sky as we arrived at 8am! No gales force winds as predicted, and it felt like no one was there, pretty deserted. There were nice snow stashes down Slider, Branchline, and the Why Nots. The Jumbo T bar wasn't running, but to end the day we did 3 runs in a row of cutting over from the Why Not's to the far side of Raceline where it was untracked and creamy. We rode first to last lifts - great day and well worth the drive!

wind drifts above Slider

High Traverse above Big Bowl

High Noon Express - not many people 

Why Not?'s are now the 'where are they?'

wrong call

The forecast looked bad so flagged going boarding... but Saturday turned out to be a nice spring day! On Sunday it dumped down in the afternoon: snow down to Taihape and as far east as Hawkes Bay, plus the Napier/Taupo road (trapping 100 or more cars in the snow). Snow also closed road desert road and SH49 from Ohakune to Waiouru.

Never mind. At least it's topped up the snow for spring riding.

Here's my Ohakune flatmate Tracey and friends doing a spot of EXTREME sledding on the Sunday. (video by Tim Simpkin from the Snow Centre)

Did I mention the wind?

Attempted to go up today, but ended up watching the wind and waiting for the final descision that all was closed for the day.

July School Holidays...

...start tonight! (end Sunday July 19th for those who want to know) Good news, there's been a heap of new snow this week. North and South. MORE due this weekend too. A storm warning has been issued by the met service, so the next few days might not be that pleasant, but then there will be freshies!

This morning we woke to the news that the Desert Road closed overnight. Volcano Watch gives us a peek of the view and what is to come. Enjoy.

SO (snow) JEALOUS

Woop Woop - Snow in Ohakune town, Desert Road, and National Park, Raetihi, all the places in between - and more! This happens a few times each winter, but in May? Well... no one's complaining :)

Was very hard to concentrate at work yesterday. I was constantly checking the 'net for pictures and updates from down there.... people snowboarding in their back yards and on the roadsides, kids learning to ski on the lawn...

So I don't have my own pictures to post, but I do have a picture scraping ice off my car for the second day in a row... This doesn't happen very often at my house either - not bad for the "winterless north"

now THIS is crazy

The crazy weather continues... Yesterday there was a massive hail storm at Papamoa, near Tauranga. The streets were blanketed with hail and "snow". And as one does in this summery region renowned for beaches and sun, you take to the beach for a spot of.... snowboarding.

Here is the link to the NZ Herald reader photo's. Not sure how long the links stays live, so have taken a screen dump below (photo credit goes to Marc McAllister, whoever you are!)

And here is a movie from Youtube, so you can see it in action. (Click the link, haven't worked out how to embed it yet)

the calm in between storms

All eyes are on the weather maps and webcams. There's been some serious weather brewing below NZ and is set to start crossing over the South Island today. It's still looking like snow well into the weekend. Down south people are hiking and getting in first turns of the season too. Pictures below are from this link: volcano watch

Whakapapa side of Ruapehu

volcano vista and the Desert Road - view from the east

Autumn Storm...

A dirty looking sequence of weather is about to hit and more snow is on the way. The Met Service predictions for the next few days till the weekend say the freezing level is set to drop to 1400-1800m. Could be just the autumn storm we need to continue to cool things down.

Here's how things looked last night - watch this space...

Crazy Weather

The past few days have been quite humid here in Auckland, temps in the late teens, some days the high got to the early 20's... Yesterday it rained solidly all day, it was grey, and the temperature barely broke 10 degrees C. No other way to describe it - it was cold! Last night the cloud broke revealing stars and a promise of the sunny day to come. I checked the volcano cam and the cloud had lifted at Ruapehu too. Ooooo, is that a dusting of fresh snow I see? :)

Today was shorts weather again. There was some swell on the East Coast, so we ventured as far north as Orewa where there were some very clean and tidy waves in the morning. Everyone was out: short and long boarders, SUP's (stand up paddlers), outriggers, surf club members out on the surf skis, and someone out the back 'skurfing'. Although it was crowded, everyone had smiles in the sun after the horrible day yesterday.

The best part for me was the view from the surf club as we had a beer afterwards. I think I even got sunburnt today, whoops. Oh well, it's an early start to the goggle tan...