Wednesday (11th September)

The Southern Lakes will start fine before clouds arrive with westerly winds shifting northwest and strengthening. Canterbury will be sunny with high cloud developing later, and winds will turn northwest. Any morning cloud over Mt Ruapehu will clear for a fine day as southerly winds ease.

Thursday & Friday (12th & 13th September)

Expect a tough day Thursday for the Southern Lakes with heavy rain, high-elevation snow, and strong northwesterly winds, but snow will lower to base levels by late afternoon and taper off overnight. Mt Hutt in Canterbury remains dry, while severe winds push rain and snow onto other resorts. Mt Ruapehu will enjoy mostly sunny skies with a westerly breeze.

Snow will clear early on Friday from the Southern Lakes, leaving clouds and a fresh dusting. In Canterbury, heavy snowfall down to low levels will start in the early morning and gradually ease throughout the day. Mt Ruapehu will see showers in the morning, turning to rain later, with snow lowering to the base level by night.

Saturday (14th September)

Cloud and snow in Canterbury will clear early, leading to a mostly fine day with northwest winds at South Island resorts. Showers on Mt Ruapehu will ease by the afternoon, with snowfall expected on mid and upper slopes as westerly winds diminish.

A few more cold southerly fronts from Sunday to mid-next week will bring a fresh layer of snow to all New Zealand resorts, boosting the season's snow levels. This active spring storm pattern is expected to continue through the latter part of the week.

Thanks for reading. I'll continue to provide these forecasts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday throughout the southern hemisphere season.

Mike O'Connor