🇳🇿Late winter storm brings heavy snowfall, shuts South Island, New Zealand highways, avalanche risk climbs
A winter storm continues to batter the South Island today, closing state highways, triggering rockfalls and raising avalanche risk, though MetService says the worst of the snow has now passed.
A "complex" low and frontal system is slowly moving over the South Island and is expected to bring a "prolonged period of heavy rain" that should turn into heavy snow for Inland parts of Canterbury and Otago.
More than 300mm of rain has fallen around Franz Josef since the storm began, with rivers along the West Coast running high and snow building across mountain passes and elevated communities.
NZTA said State Highway 94 between Te Anau and Milford Sound remained closed because of avalanche risk.
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August 27, 2026 33
