WINTRY BLAST

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 172, 7 August 1937, Page 5

WINTRY BLAST

Heavy Fall of Snw on • ihe Ranges UNPLEASANT CONDITIONS The weather in Hastings this mor*ing was the coldest for some timi, although the frost recording traf 0«ly one degree. There is a consideraWe amount of snow on the ranges, the Kahuranakis being thickly eoated, and a cold wind blowing off tnis snow made conditions unpleasant. A warm even' ing soon gave place to heavy rain ftnd gusts of wind last night. Heavy fftlll of snow occurred on the ranges sut' rounding the district, and in soine v cases even the foothills were coated. At Waipukurau the weather Wai extremely cold, and heavy snow falls took place on the foothills. At Napier eonditions were very similar to those in Hastings. Had it not been for the cold hreeza last* night, the frost would undoubtedly havo been more severe. Wind cansea eddies and so mixes the sUrface air with that from higher layexs. Thus, other things being equal, the stronger the wind, the less chance there is oi frost. In considering this point, however, it has to be reanembered that wind increases transpiration and has an exhausting effeet upon vegetation, A frost of a degree or two in a stroflg wind will frequently do more datnagd than a hard frost in cairn weather. While the present heavy snow remains on tho surrottnding ranges, Irosts may be expected, We look for frost s after cold days. If there is much snow about most of the Bun's radiation is xeflected back into space without absorption, so that little of H is used in warming the air. Frosts are, theref ore, specially likely after extcnsive snowfalls. • A strong gale continued in Hastings all morning, and during the afternoon the weather" became very gusty, , •"