Mixed blessing in recent rain

Press, 19 December 1989, Page 2

Mixed blessing in recent rain

The week-end’s heavy rain and cool temperatures meant a lousy time for Canterbury sun-seekers, but Mid-Canterbury farmers were rejoicing. At the Winchmore weather station 50mm of rain was recorded between 9 a.m. last Friday and yesterday morning, giving dryland crops a much needed boost, said a spokesman, Mr Robin Burton. The Christchurch weather office recorded 42.4 mm during the same three-day period, which compared with the December monthly average of 53mm, a spokesman said. While the rainfall was “substantial,” it still had some way to go to top the 1978 December maximum of 149 mm, the spokesman said. Mr Burton said the rain which fell steadily over Friday and Saturday in Mid-Canterbury was better for crops than a torrential downpour which would not soak in as much. Benefits from the rain might not last long because there was a potential evaporation rate of up to smm a day. Between scm and 10cm of snow fell on both Mount Hutt

and Porter Heights over the week-end, and one resident reported a liberal coating of snow about half-way down Mount Oxford. The Mount Hutt operations manager, Mr John Millington, said it was a big fall for December, but snow had fallen about once a week since the field closed last month. About 30cm fell on the ski-field three weeks ago, but it thawed out within a week. “It’s not unusual. Actually, it’s quite unusual having a dry summer,” Mr Millington said. Mount Hutt’s location meant it was susceptible to many storms in the Southern Alps. The Porter Heights Skifield manager, Mr Uli Dinsenbacher, said there was a reasonable snow cover on the mountain-top, reaching down to the carpark (1340 m above sea level). The snowfall had been a nuisance as it had ironically delayed the installation of new snowmaking equipment until after Christmas, he said. Weather forecasts for Christmas week-end look grim, with a prediction of this week-end’s southerlies continuing.