Icy snap leaves mark on Hawke's Bay

Frost will be the only reminder of the icy conditions that gripped the Bay yesterday including snow and low temperatures, weather watchers say.

Long-range forecasts predicted nothing unusual was in store for the coming months.

A heavy snow warning was in place yesterday, as the central North Island ranges, from Taihape to the Kaweka Range of Hawke's Bay to northern Manawatu, were dusted down to 800m.

When Hawke's Bay Today visited the Napier-Taupo road area, residents were seen working and playing in the snow.

Te Pohue farmer Murray King said the inch or so of snow that fell at his property melted away in time for the season's first lambs to be born yesterday afternoon.

"It wasn't bad and it didn't stick around for long," he said. "It hasn't affected our lambing, so that's a bonus. We just started in the afternoon, so it just came at the right time.

"We had a bit of sleet the night before and it was predicted, so we knew it was coming."

He said snow was a common sight on the farm up until October.

MetService duty forecaster Phillipa Murdoch said the icy conditions, caused by a southern trough that swept the country this week, were over.

"Hawke's Bay is looking at a few showers about the coast this morning and carrying through the day there should be fine weather and light winds.

"Another frost is expected overnight and Friday is more of the same - pretty much fine but you will probably see some frost in the morning and then you have northwesterlies developing."

Temperatures in Napier were forecast to reach 14C today with a low of 2C, and 14C and 1C in Hastings.

Further south in the Bay, Dannevirke was forecast for a high of 10C and low of 3C, with rural areas to expect coastal showers clearing in the morning to a fine day and light winds, with frosts morning and night in sheltered places.

She said another cold spell was not likely anytime soon.

"With those sort of northwesterlies, things will probably be a bit warmer. No more snow is likely."

The Niwa seasonal outlook for September to November showed temperatures were likely to be in the near-average range.

Rainfall totals, soil-moisture levels and river flows during that time were expected to be in the above normal or near normal ranges.

Federated Farmers President Bruce Wills said a notice had been sent to members in the storm's path, reminding them to move stock - especially vulnerable lambs - to sheltered paddocks.

Mr Wills said it was likely that local industry would be largely unaffected by yesterday's hilltop snow, with lambing only just beginning or not yet started in the high country. Horticulturists were concerned about frost affecting their early crops, as spring was running about 10 days earlier than last year.