Christchurch cold snap 'shocker' | Canterbury News | Local News in Canterbury

After a warm start to winter the cold snap was a sharp shock for many Christchurch residents.

Heavy snowfall has disrupted businesses and services around the city for the past two days and continues to make driving treacherous on icy roads.

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research climate scientist Georgina Griffiths said the predicted snow was a bit of "shock to the system" after a warmer than usual May and
June.

New Zealand recorded its warmest ever May this year with June reaching the third warmest temperatures on record.

Mrs Griffith said the country was in the middle of what was traditionally the two coldest months of the year but it was rare that Christchurch should experience the second coldest day since 1918.

Dumps of up to 30cm and 15cm were recorded around the city on Monday, with a maximum temperature of 1.9 deg C. It was the second coldest day since -1.2 deg C was recorded at the Botanical Gardens on July 21, 1918.

An event like this happens about once or twice in a century, said Mrs Griffiths.

"It's unusual but within the realms of normal."

It was the most widespread snow across the country since 1995. Snow driven by a cold southerly falling from the southern tip of the South Island to Waikato, including in unusual spots such as Nelson, Palmerston North and the Kaimai Ranges near Tauranga.

MetService meteorologist Daniel Corbett "all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle were in the right place" for snow to reach snow level in Christchurch this week. But the snow in Christchurch should clear in the next few days with warmer temperatures predicted.

After a frosty start, today is expected to be fine reaching 13 deg C with a gusty nor'wester. Tomorrow will also be fine with a maximum temperature of 12 deg C. However, by Friday a southerly change will ring a few showers and a maximum temperature of 13C.

Significant snow storms have occurred in Christchurch in 1862, 1895, 1896, 1901, 1918, 1945, 1992 and 2006.

The 1992 snow storm killed over one million stock in Canterbury. Its overall economic impact was estimated to be somewhere between $50m and $100m.