Further warnings of snow for South Island by Laura Gilchrist
Five days after a winter storm struck, some South Island residents are still without power, while the New Zealand MetService is warning of further snowfall this weekend.
As reported in Monday’s article, the storm dumped more than 60 cm (2 feet) of snow in parts of South Island, and the high winds that accompanied the storm cut power to thousands of homes on both South and North Island. Some residents described it as the worst storm for over fifty years. The Army and Air Force have been called in to help deliver supplies to farmers in remote areas of South Island that remain snow-bound on Friday.
The worst-hit areas were in the Canterbury region of South Island, where snow to such low-levels is reportedly unusual. Since Monday, trucks have been removing piles of snow from the town of Ashburton, whilst milder air and rain has helped to melt the snow in other low-lying areas. But the milder air is ahead of another cold front, which forecasters are warning will bring further snow this weekend as it moves up from the south into South Island.
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