Your worst winter weather stories

I'm ashamed to admit it after my last posting, in which I positively welcomed bad weather, but I'm almost fed up with the cold, the rain and the almost permanent lid of thick cloud.

One of the amazing things about the weather is how it will so often balance itself out. Until a few weeks ago we had had less than half the normal amount of rainfall in Christchurch we usually would have had to mid-May.

Now, after a curtain-raiser wet week followed by the main event, an incredibly wet spell in which Christchurch had about a quarter of its annual rainfall in three days, we have had at least 25mm more rain so far this year than long-term averages would suggest.

Statistics are funny things. In years to come, without knowing the full story, people will look at that figure and assume the city had had an average to slightly wetter-than-normal period spread evenly over the first five months of the year.

More rain is plaguing us at the moment, with a very cold southerly expected to send a shiver up the South Island's east coast over the next few days. Chances are, going by the computer models, another wet and very cold spell is on the cards towards the weekend.

With that in mind, I thought it might be fun for us to share our memories of the worst spells of winter weather you can recall. Worst can mean whatever you want - cold, snowy, wet, windy or even, for weather nuts, settled and sunny!

A few dates stick in my head regarding snow. I clearly remember some brilliant lengthy snowfalls in Christchurch in June 1976 and again at the end of June 1978. There was snow early in the season in May 1988 and a very large snowfall in June 2006, which cut off parts of inland Canterbury for weeks. And the winter of 2008, when it snowed four times in Christchurch.

I look forward to your worst winter weather stories.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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pete   #1   01:22 am Jun 08 2010

I remember as a young lad working on a farm up behind Akaroa in 1971/72 when there were big falls of snow on some of the high country stations through Arthurs Pass.A group of farmers from the area got a ragged mob of us together and we went upto Flock Hill to help with snow raking sheep off the higher country.As a young fella it was all very exciting for me,flying round in Iriquios,chucking out bales of hay and being dropped off on spurs to start the search for sheep.It was cold hard work,as there were cold southlies still blowing.The Airforce were fantastic in their help,nothing was to hard for them,i have to say all this helped to start my love of the high country.

Meg Henry   #2   09:22 am Jul 19 2010

The worst winter weather I can recall was in July 1945 .. We lived out at Belfast .. our father woke us up to tell us to look out the window... there was snow up to the windowsills. ( we lived in a cottage) 18 inches to 2 feet fell in Christchurch and suburbs, depending on where you were..country of course had more. It was followed by severe frosts, so lasted for weeks. Fun for the kids, but hell for parents !!

Nancy Massingham   #3   02:41 am Mar 11 2011

last year (2010) i hoped and hopedand hoped for a white christmas but it never came

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