South Canterbury businesses say they are ready for the “significant winter storm” expected to lash much of the South Island later this week.
MetService warned multiple highways might be closed due to heavy snow predicted to fall above around 400 metres inland of South Canterbury, the Queenstown Lakes District, Central Otago, and the Mackenzie Basin on Thursday.
The exact snow level was unclear, but was predicted to be around 30 centimetres along State Highways 8 and 80cm in the Mackenzie Basin.
The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said motorists should expect sections of State Highway 73 to close and restrictions to be introduced to minimise safety hazards.
Peppers Bluewater Resort operations manager Kerry Dangers said the Tekapo hotel was always prepared for unexpected weather changes and had many emergency procedures and contingency plans in place.
“Having operated in this environment for more than 20 years…without wanting to sound too casual about it, this certainly isn’t our first rodeo,” he said.
He said Tekapo had a strong sense of community, so most businesses and services worked together to overcome challenges.
Metservice meteorologist Devlin Lyden said the warm weather that much of the eastern part of the South Island had been experiencing was part of the same weather pattern that will bring colder conditions later in the week.
The owner of a Twizel snack van, Foodelicious, Lana Varcov, said she will have to close her trailer down if the state highways are closed or the snowfall is too heavy.
Varcov said she was preparing her food supplies in case delivery trucks were delayed, and hoped she can keep the store open and that the snow warning will not be too severe.
“They always talk about snow, but it never happens…or it will just be a little bit but nothing major," she said.
High Country Salmon farming manager Karl French said the business was well-equipped and prepared, and he did not expect significant disruptions.
“Snow makes for a beautiful landscape, so it's only a temporary situation rather than a critical situation,” he said.
“It's just something you deal with every winter.”
