WINTRY SNAP

Timaru Herald, Volume CXL, Issue 20259, 7 November 1935, Page 8

WINTRY SNAP

SNOWSTORM IN MACKENZIE COUNTRY A heavy snowstorm swept the Mackenzie Country last night and it is feared that the severity of 'the weather will have a serious effect on upcountry lambing. It is most unusual for snow to be experienced in South Canterbury in November and last night’s fall was exceptionally heavy. Although rain fell in Timaru practically throughout yesterday afternoon, none was experienced in Fairlie until the evening, when a sudden drop _ in temperature heralded the approaching snowstorm. Rain fell in the township until about 9.30 when thick flakes came wafting down, but they did not lie on the ground for some time. By 10.30, however, the whole district down as far as Aibury was covered in a white mantle and the snow increased in density as the night wore on. Lamb Losses Expected Farmers who conversed with a representative of “The Timaru Herald” in Fairlie last night expressed grave c-ncern for the welfare of young lambs in the high country, where it was expected that the storm would be much more severe than in the township. The concern expressed was based on the fact that the weather throughdut the day had given no indication of a sudden cold snap and noboay anticipated a snowstorm at this time of the year. Coming as it did, late at night, runholders would have been caught unawares and would have had no chance of getting the lambs to shelter. As a result, a fairly heavy mortality was anticipated. Some idea of the severity of the storm may be had from the experience of a representative of “The Timaru Herald," who left Fairlie by car at 10.30 p.m. to return to Timaru. Visibility on leaving the township was restricted to a few yards and it was not long before the snow began to freeze on the windscreen, rendering the windscreen wiper almost useless. Repeated stops had to be made to clear the snow and ice from the screen and the rate of progress was so hampered that the journey to Aibury, a distance of about 10 miles, occupied more than an hour. There the snowstorm gave place to thick sleet and later heavy rain which ceased beyond Cave. At one stage of the trip snow was crusted on the car to a depth of more than an inch.