TOWN UNDER SNOW

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 13, 7 September 1931, Page 3

TOWN UNDER SNOW

ROADS BLOCKED . a

HEAVIEST FALL FOR PAST FOURTEEN YEARS IN ROTORUA. DRIFT OVERTURNS CAR The most severe ' snowstorm for many years swept across the Rotorua and -Taupo districts during the weekend eovering the ground in some places to a depth.of three feet. Yesterday, the Taupo-Napier road was completely blocked and access to Rotorua by several other routes had 0 been made exceedingly difficult. One of Rotorua's oldest residents Mr. John Falloona, states that there has not been a similar fall of snow • in Rotorua for the past 14 years. On . fchat oecasion the town received a light eovering whicli lasted little more than an hour. Tarawera Mountain is reported to be completely covered in a white mantle right to the edge of the lake, while much of the surrounding country has also been covered by a heavyfall. On the road to Taupo, only six miles from Rotorua, the snow yesterday was lying to a depth of nearly a foot, while on the main highway across the Rangitaiki -Plains^ there ' • had been a fall of " three feet and more, completely blocking communication with Napier by this route. On the other side of Rotorua Ngongotaha Mountain was snow-covered to the foothills, to a depth of nine inches to a foot, while in the Mamaku -hills the service ca'rs travelling between Rotorua and Hamilton, * reported a veritable blizzard. According to one driver, visibility was reduced to about 20 yards and snow was falling fast. On all the hills surrounding the town, 'snow was lying and was especiaily noticeable between Tikitere and Lake Rotoma. Snow On Cars Cars arriving in Rotorua yesterday " afternoon were covered with snow, and windscreens especiaily, were caked, in several cases, to a thickness of several inches.- Several mofcorists reported that the' wind-driven snow adhered so tightly to the glass that automatie wipers were -useless and the glass had to be cleared by scraping. One car, trying to reach Napier early yesterday morning struck a snow-drift on the Rangitaiki • Plains and was overturned. Nobody was hurt and assistance was' procured from Taupo to extricate the vehicle from the drift. Snow eeased falling in Rotorua about 5 p.m., but in the higher country the fall still persisted at nightfall. • '