SNOW IN THE SOUTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20930, 21 July 1931, Page 9

SNOW IN THE SOUTH.

VERY SEVERE WEATHER.

DUNEDIN'S WHITE MANTLE. • ■ DIFFICULTIES OF TRAFFIC. TREACHEROUS FROZEN ROADS. fßy ' TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. 1 ' DUNEDIN. Monday, Probably not since 1898 has the Dunedin district experienced such a severe'winter. The third snowstorm of the season swept the city and the surrounding Country yesterday and to-day, making traffic on (be city and hill streets particularly dangerous, and completely blocking traffic to the' south and to Central Otago beyond Milton.

Five days of snow have been Dunedin's measure this winter. Although the earlier falls were heavier than that of the past two days, the weather has not previously been so severe or mado conditions for transport so treacherous. Shortly before noon on Saturday, a bitterly cold southerly wind brought heavy rain, and within an hour the sports grounds in tho city were so waterlogged as to make play impossible. Rain ceased early in the evening and an extremely hard frost sent in. Caution on the Roads.

By midnight the roads were frozen and caution had to be exercised by pedestrians, Snow fell during the night and tho city was mantled in white yesterday morning. Throughout Sunday, Dunedin shivered under flurries of snow and winter had'the city in its icy grip.

Shortly before midnight a steady fall of snow set in and-continued for several hours, with the result that this morning a white mantle covered the ground to a depth of several inches, and the surrounding hills were picturesque.

There was some improvement during the day but one or two, heavy showers of rain fell, and they had the effect of. melting the snow and forming rivers of slush. . The country districts suffered severely, especially South Otago, and drifts of snow to a depth of 6ft. or 7ft. at Lovell's Flat made the main south road impassable. Balclutha was under 6in. of snow yesterday, and there were further falls to-day, rendering road transport north or south of the town impossible. Foot of Snow at Lawrence. Snow also lay deep in Milton and road traffic to the south was out of the question. The road to Lawrence was so treacherous as to hold up all traffic on that route to Central Otago. A foot of snow was lying in the main street at La'wrence. Only 2in. of snow had fallen at Roxburgh, and the road from there to Alexandra was clear, although greasy. A bus which attempted to reach Dunedin from Lawrence this morning ended its journey at Waitahuna, where it shipped into a ditch. The bus was not damaged. ' Train traffic is not interrupted and no delays of any consequence are reported on any of the lines. The main north road is clear but very greasy. A mishap was reported from Kilmog, when a motor-car skidded and toppled over a bank. None of the occupants was hurt. .

, WEST COAST CENTRES. FOOT OF SNOW IN PLACES. The following Press Association messages; sent yesterday from west coast towns in the South Island indicate that the snowfall was universal in that region. Gjreymoutlx.—The snowfail overnight and this morning was general along the West Coast, the depth being from an inch near the seafront to fully 12in. inland. The following places report a foot of snow: —Nelson Creek, Marsden, Kokatalii, Koteirangi and Reefton. Seven inches Were reported at Rimu, Ruatapu, Kumara and Stafford. The. fall has been the greatest xm the Coast generally since 1897. The snow remains to-night on the ground over a wide area ? but apart from a fall of sleet this evening, the weather has improved. Snowballing was responsible for a number of windows being broken at Greymouth. Westport.—A fall of snow was experienced this morning to a depth of half-an-inch. This is the heaviest fall within living memory. Denniston is covered by a mantle of snow over a foot deep. Reefton.—Snow fell to. a depth of three inches on Saturday night, and last night there was a further fall. All outsicTo work has been suspended, and also work at all coal mines. This is the third fall this month and the heaviest in 20 years. Hokitika.—Tho heaviest snowfall for over 30 years occurred this morning. There is a, covering of over two inches in the town and the fall has been much heavier in country districts, as much as from six to eight inches.

RECORD CHRISTCHURCH FROST.

INTENSITY OF 20 DEGREES,

[BY TELEGRAPH. —FRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, Monday. After a stormy week-end, including snow, sleet and rain, Christchurch experienced tho record frost of 20-1 degrees this morning. The weather is now fine.