Heavy snow has caused power outages and concerns about feed reserves in Otago.
Federated Farmers high country chair Andrew Paterson, who owns Matakanui Station near Omakau, said they have had three inches, or 7.6cm, of snow since Thursday night “and it is still falling and forecast to keep snowing today”.
Paterson said he is concerned about feed, as the area had a poor autumn and winter.
“Most of us have had a tough winter, and we are short on feed supply. Normally you get to this time of the year and the grass is growing and winter is over. We’ve had a really tough winter and autumn with the drought. Now we’ve got snow with essentially no or little feed reserves left.”
Paterson had been shearing hoggets and had to stop because of a power outage on the farm.
“All the sheep that we’ve shorn from the latest shearing we’re putting back into the wool shed and under cover,” he said.
Aurora Energy reported power outages in Queenstown, Cromwell, Alexandra, Omakau, Glenorchy and Wānaka.
Media reports said at 7am this morning power was cut to 3500 homes in Otago.
Paterson said because the area often has snow in the first week of October he does not start lambing until then, with most in the area not lambing until late September.
Head weather analyst and owner of WeatherWatch.co.nz Phil Duncan said Otago is more exposed to moisture from low pressure nearby and had a higher risk for snow this morning.
“The low-pressure zone will create some areas of more moisture today. Otago is getting more snow because weak low pressures can be more unpredictable, but add more moisture into the colder air. Snow showers are no different to rain showers and our hills and ranges can make some heavier, others miss out.”
There will be winter weather conditions in the lower South Island over Sunday and Monday and with wind chills below 0degC, he said.
“The whole system is slowly moving northwards today and weakening. Conditions will clear from the south today,” Duncan said.
In Focus Podcast: Full Show | 13 September
