RECORD SNOWFALL OVER FEILDING

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 174, 26 July 1939, Page 3

RECORD SNOWFALL OVER FEILDING

Town and Country-side Under White Mantle YESTERDAY»S EXTRAORDINARY DAWN The wished-for experience of many was gratified yesterday morning when Feilding awakened to be welcomed by an extraordinary dawn—the town and countryside cloaked in snow. The scene had no parallel in Feilding’s history; on every side and everywhere the soft white mantle had settled to conjure up in tho thoughts of all mental picture.* of snow-bound settlements in he northern hemisphere. It was a new and altogether strange experience for Feilding to bo brought within the range of this manifestation of winter’s intensity. Except for one or two slight falls of snow, Feilding has remained immune from experiences such as that registered yeterday, and from its comparatively sheltered location has often looked out towards the higher country under the spell of snow. Heavy rain and generally cold conditions were experienced on Monday night, and it was not until between 4 and 5 o ’clock yesterday morning that the snow, which was then descending on the higher levels, spread its mantle over Feilding. First a few flakes drifted by and gradually theso increased in density until tho ground commenced to bo covered. Dairymen, rising early to get in their cows, stepped out into the palo dawn to receive a surprise with their paddocks cloaked in white and snow falling with a rare density. One farmer stated that it was an uncanny experience picking his track to the cows with the aid of an electric torch as the snowflakes passed through the ray of light. He assumed that tho cows, too, found it unusual to find their pastures buried beneath a blanket of white. Apart from these early workers, the town slumbered serenely on while the snow silently settled its magic mantle over everything. Soon real living Christmas trees, carrying their softly applied decoration of snow, emerged from the darkness, the branches bending ever so slightly to the measure of winter’s decoration. Tall, gaunt gum trees, under the spell of winter, took on a new beauty as tlio snow caught their plucked branches and sought to clothe otherwise naked limbs. Shrubs, too, caught tho fair mantle, while tho lawns aud gardens lost their separateness and enlarged into broad fields of whiteness. Tho scene was one of raro beauty and soon after 5 o’clock, with the snow a full inch in depth over the town, the fall ceased. Tho western hills were covered as never before and this added to tho strangeness of tho scene. Children were out early to mako the most of this raro opportunity for snow games and where the snow was deepest the fun was greatest, for hero were the materials for building snow-men. Light snow commenced to fall again at 9 o ’clock, and during the morning a further, but heavier, fall occurred. However, all signs of the visitation departed by about 10 o’clock, excepting on tho higher levels. IN THE BACK DISTRICTS Heavy falls of snow were recorded in the back districts from Feilding. Yesterday morning Kiwitea was under snow to a depth of five inches, while at Kimbolton it was quite eight inches deep. Waituna and Apiti and Raugiwahia all suffered with the wholo country bedded inches deep under tho mantle. Hunterville did not receive any very heavy fall, but at Mangaweka and on into the King Country the fall was particularly heavy. Traffic to Taihape was difficult and there it stopped, for tho route further north was definitely blocked by the snow. Yesterday afternoon advices received locally stated that tho main highway between Taihape and Ohakune was definitely blocked and no traffic could get beyond Taihape nor south from Ohakune.