6 IN. OF SNOW

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20000, 27 July 1939, Page 4

6 IN. OF SNOW

WHARERATA PALL HANGAROA’S EXPERIENCE 4IN. IN HALF AN HOUR PLIGHT OF SETTLERS ALL PIPES FROZEN

This morning’s' snowstorm reached blizard force in some parts of the district, and at Hangaroa 4in. of snow fell in half an hour.

hike Hie storms in the high country during the past few days, this morning's. was very patchy. It-seemed to be worst on the hills to the south and south-west of Gisborne, while to the north no snow fell at all it o-day in some areas, even on some of the high country.

It is also unusual that while the snow invaded areas that have never had snow lying about before, some of the higher country in the vicinity experienced lilttle, while settlers on some of the high hills state that they have had little snow, although the lower areas around them are thickly covered.

The snow commenced shortly after 7 o’clock this morning in most parts, and fell over the Entire flats from the sea to Te Kanaka, although at Te Kanaka there was only a light dusting, compared with a sustained fall of two or three hours in other parts.

The worst of the storm seemed to strike the Whareratas and Hangaroa-Waerenga-o-kuri areas. Mr. R. C. Parker, Hangaroa, reports that, commencing at 7.15 o’clock, the snow fell so thickly that half an hour later it lay to a depth of 4in. in the open fields, while in the drifts it was much deeper. Difficult Driving Mr. Parker drove through the .snowstorm to Gisborne, and -did not run out of if until he reached Waerenga-o-kuri some time after 10 o’clock, and he found a thick coating .all along the road until he reached Gentle Annie Hill. He stated that the drive was the hardest one (he had ever experienced, and 1 was very trying on the eyes.

Another report from Waerenga-o-lcuri states that the snow felL there to a depth of 3in. during the morning, after a fall of three hours. A motorist who had travelled from Wairoa stated that the snow was deeper from Harri's' Hill, Hangaroa, to Waerenga-o-kuri than anywhere else on the road. After the snow ceased, a high wind arose, and (the atmosphere was bitterly cold.

At Tiniroto there was only a light fall of snow this morning, the snow lying to a depth of less than lin. for only a short period l . The snow had also disappeared from the surrounding hills during' the morning. The thawing process was helped l by a strong wind which sprang up after the snow ceased at about 9.30 a.m. Worst Known on Wharerala

Six inches of snow were reported from Wharerata at 9 o’clock after two hours of the storm, which had reached, blizzard proportions. In the drifts snow was lying to a depth of 18in. The snow was the heaviest known to the oldest residents of the district, and was worse on the higher levels. These conditions followed a particularly cold night, andi this morning before the snow commenced the ground was frozen white. The conditions on the road were so difficult that the Public Works Department’s lorries going to Tikiwhata Camp had to turn back. The slippery nature of the road made conditions 'tool dangerous for such heavy vehicles. Bartletts, at the foot of Wharerata Hill, had its first real fall of snow this morning, and it came in suiffidien't quarry to cover the ground in the fiat parts of the district, while the surrounding hills had a thick covering. Snow was seen falling in the vicinity >of Bartletts on Tuesday afternoon and also on Wednesday morning, but the flakes melted on reaching the ground, Tlie Muriwai fiats were covered with snow this morning. It commenced shortly after 7 o’clock, and was still falling .Steadily at 9.30 o’clock, the ground being covered to about an inch deep. This is the third fall of .snow at Muriwai within three days.

In Te Arai Valley the snow commenced with powdery flakes at about 7 o’clock, and as the ground was already frozen the snow quickly collected when it began to fall in larger flakes. The hills were thickly covered. Settlers Without Water

In the Wharekopae district snow has been falling intermittently for the past three days, and conditions were excessively cold. Only a little snow fell this morning. All taps in ,the houses were frozen, and some of the settlers were without water. A report from the Waimata district states that there was only light powdery snow on some of the high country. Mr. O. B. Ormerod said that the extraordinary feature of the storms of the past three days was that while they themselves had had little snow country much lower appeared tc be thickly coated, and there was a lot to the north-east, in the direction of Tolaga Bay, where snow was rarely seen. Matawai experienced no snow at all this morning, although there was a little last evening. Tolaga Bay had a light fail of powdery snow in the township yesterday, but none fell today. The Mnngaheia country, abom ,10 miles from Tolaga Bay, had a heavy fall yesterday, the first time snow has been known there. Te Puia had a light fall of snow at 10 o’clock this morning, but snow fell intermittently all day yesterday. A few flakes fell at Ruatoria yesterday, but there was none to-day.