Snow, Frost, But No Thermometer

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30776, 14 June 1965, Page 1

Snow, Frost, But No Thermometer

Most of Christchurch wriggled back under the bedclothes yesterday morning after a first look at lawns coated with frost, mountains solid with snow, and still more snow on the Port Hills.

The frost was not recorded at the Meteorological Office at Harewood. The minimum grass thermometer was moved on Saturday, while the grass was cut, and it was not returned to its official position. The staff at Harewood estimated the frost there at 14 to 18 degrees, and an official reading of 10 degrees was taken at the Botanic Gardens. A Dallington resident reported a reading of 13 degrees to the Weather Office.

Citizens made their own assessments of the frost as they broke icicles off their car headlamps, brought in reinforcements to prise open frozen car doors, poured hot water (in one case from a hot-water bottle) over their windscreens, and lamented over their recently planted frost-tender shrubs. Inland towns had falls of snow on Saturday afternoon and evening. Fairlie had no snow, and not much frost, but Hororata had 3in of snow on the ground. Springfield a light fall of snow and a hard frost, Methven 4in of snow, Darfield 2in of snow and 9.3 degrees of frost, Oxford two hours of hail followed by a heavy frost. There was snow at Coopers Creek and View Hill early yesterday morning.

In those places where snow fell, farmers had to set to work stepping up the feeding out of hay to sheep and cattle Temperatures recorded at the Harewood weather office yesterday rose from 28 degrees at 9 a.m. to 44 degrees at midday, with a further rise to 48 degrees at 3 p.m. The daily maximum was 49 degrees at 1 p.m. The frost of 10 degrees recorded at the Botanic Gardens was the highest this month. Other frosts this month were on June 7. when 11 degrees was recorded at Harewood, with seven degrees at the Botanic Gardens: on June 9, when nine degrees was recorded at Harewood and in the city: and on Saturday. June 12. when a reading of five degrees was taken at Harewood.

After the frost, yesterday morning was fine and calm, but a light south-westerly wind developed in the afternoon with increasing cloud. The temperature in Christchurch at 5 p.m., recorded on the Government Life building, was 48 degrees.