22 June 2004

Kangaroos frolic in icy conditions
The first snow this winter has begun to fall in the mountains of NSW, although weather reports are of the occasional flake falling and "temperatures plummeted to minus one" while the recorded maximum was five degrees. Snow had been dumping in the Snowy Mountains since early Friday following a fall of almost 50cms on Tuesday. Elsewhere in Aus suprise snow blanketed towns and vinyards.

Thursday night temperatures fell as low as -1 at Stanley, 0 at Corryong and 0 at Tawonga and Mt Beauty. Long-range weather forecaster Mr John Moore said snow should fall to about 800m today and towns such as Shelley, Mt Beauty and Corryong should again prepare for an icy dump. Yesterday about 10cm fell at Stanley, blanketing rooftops and trees and turned the pine plantation into a scene out of Bing Crosbys White Christmas. Stanley resident Mr Craig English said it was picturesque to watch kangaroos frolicking in the snow and vineyards encased in the icy white powder.

The Murray Valley Highway was even blocked at Shelley and Koetong by snow. On the snowfields there were good falls with Falls Creek recording 14cm of snow to 9am yesterday, Mt Hotham 6cm and Mt Buller 12cm. Temperatures stayed well below zero, dropping to -5.7 at Mt Hotham on Thursday night before rising to a top of -2 yesterday.

[Source: The Border Mail]

Queenstown looking good for festival
A big unexpected snowfall delighted skiers but frustrated unprepared motorists around Wanaka and Queenstown last weekend. Snow had blanketed central Queenstown by mid-evening, bringing expectant "whooping and hollering" crowds out on to the street. Skifields were thrilled about the unexpected "white gold", nzski.com general manager Duncan Smith said.

He had given a rather depressing snow report to radio stations yesterday morning, following four days of closures at Coronet Peak and forecasts for more warm weather. But by 9pm, he was standing at the base of the skifield in 24cm of new snow. "It's not light, dry stuff that packs down to nothing or blows away. This is the stuff that will form a really good base," Mr Smith said. "It's winter picture perfect." Coronet Peak is expected to open for business today and Mr Smith said the Remarkables skifield was likely to open next Saturday.

Queenstown Winter Festival manager Simon Green was possibly the most excited man in town, as his team had been discussing contingency plans in case there was no snow for the festival, which starts on Friday. "This is fantastic. It's the biggest unpredicted snowfall I've seen in the seven or eight years I've lived here." Cardrona has received 10cm-20 cm of snow, ahead of a planned opening on Thursday.

Resorts set to open
On the Pisa Range, Snow Park manager Sam Lee said both his field and the adjacent Snow Farm were tentatively scheduled to open on Monday, having received about 25cm of snow in the six to eight hours to 9pm yesterday. Treble Cone had about 15cm of new snow but needed more before it could open.

Constable Greg Hanckel, of Queenstown, said alpine roads throughout the South were covered in snow by about 5pm and cars had been "falling off the road" throughout the district, although no-one had been seriously injured. The Crown Range and Lindis Pass were closed to all traffic, but not before some motorists got stuck on both. Milk deliveries around Wanaka were cancelled.

[Source: odt.co.nz]

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