Our guide to our resources, the information you'll find in them and when to try elsewhere
Snow Days
A Brief History of Snow in Christchurch.
Snow Now
If there's snow in Christchurch right now check the Christchurch City Council web site for bus and road closure information, localeye and Environment Canterbury for Canterbury information or New Zealand online news sources.
Really big snows
From CCC archives: Christchurch City Update '97 - Natural Hazards
"Significant snow storms have occurred in Christchurch in 1895, 1896, 1901, 1918 1945, 1992 and 2006. Snow storms cause damage to buildings and power lines, and disruption to traffic and communications within urban areas and stock losses in rural districts. A secondary effect is snowmelt flooding.
"The 1992 snow storm killed over one million stock in Canterbury and damaged buildings in the Christchurch and surrounding areas. Its overall economic impact was estimated to be somewhere between 50 and 100 million dollars. The 1992 snowstorm had a recurrence interval of about 50 to 100 years."
Read more about winter weather and an interview with MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt.
1862
1895
1918
Big Snow - 1945 - Mr Bettle outside his shop in Heathcote Valley14 July 1945
- Record (up to 1980) snowfall 280mm (11 inches) over most of city.
27 August 1992
More recent snows
2002
2003
- Hardest frost in 50 years 26th June
- Wrap up, folks - the worst's not over yet 5th July
2004
2005
- Storm batters city and farms September
2006
- NIWA says snow storm was exceptional south of the Rakaia NIWA media release
- Photographs of the storm and its aftermath were captured in a commemorative book: Snow Storm.
- NASA’s Earth Observatory web site posted a report and a detailed satellite image.
