First dump for 2012

	Days 0-3 Craigieburn Weather Summary: Light rain (total 4.0mm) on Tue afternoon. Becoming colder with heavy fall of snow, heaviest during Wed morning. Freeze-thaw conditions (max 2°C on Tue afternoon, min -12°C on Thu morning). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, near gales from the WNW by Fri morning).
Metric Imper.	Tue 05 after- noon	Tue 05 night	Wed 06 morn- ing	Wed 06 after- noon	Wed 06 night	Thu 07 morn- ing	Thu 07 after- noon	Thu 07 night	Fri 08 morn- ing
Wind (km/h)
Summary	light rain	heavy snow	heavy snow	mod. snow	snow shwrs	clear	clear	clear	light snow
Snow cm	-	33	20	6	-	-	-	-	1
Rain mm	4	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Max °C	2	1	-7	-6	-7	-3	-3	-4	-3
Min °C	1	-7	-8	-6	-10	-12	-8	-9	-3
WChill °C	-4	-13	-15	-10	-15	-18	-14	-17	-13
Freezing level (m)	2200	1450	300	550	300	1100	1350	600

Large areas of the South Island are bracing for heavy snow as a band of stormy weather bears down on New Zealand.
MetService is warning that up to 100cm of snow could accumulate above 300 metres in Canterbury and Marlborough, although it has cancelled severe gale warnings for parts of the lower North Island and Marlborough Sounds.
"This is likely to be a highly significant snow event for Canterbury and Marlborough making travel very difficult and causing stress for livestock. Heavy snow could also damage structures such as powerlines," MetService said.

The snow would be brought to the area by a sharp front that was expected to lie over the central South Island this evening.
In Canterbury and Marlborough south of Seddon rain was expected to turn to snow late this evening or overnight. In the 27 hours from 9pm, 50cm to 100cm of snow may accumulate above 300 metres, while south of about Lake Tekapo between 10cm and 40cm was expected.
Between 10cm and 40cm may also accumulate in the area from 100 metres to 300 metres, while lesser amounts may fall to near sea level.
could be some early turns!!