Snow predictions?

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 585, 9 May 1995, Page 14 (Supplement)

Snow predictions?

Department of Conservation scientist Harry Keys, who has done in-depth studies of snowfall patterns, says it is difficult to make a forecast for the 1995 winter. He said after last spring that it was not possible to determine with any reliability what would happen to the Southern Oscillation this winter. 'There is insufficient understanding of the processes driving this long-running E1 Nino, now matched only by a similarly long event in 1911-1915, before the days of widespread skiing in New Zealand." He said Ruapehu has had four "good" snow seasons and one "average" season in the last five years. He said there has not been such a snow sequence since 1962-1966, following the Agung eruption in Bali. Data collected suggests increased extremes of both heavy and light snow years, indicating an increased possibility of a poor season as time goes by." However the long term snow outlook for the mountain appears good.