Snow in Rotorua

Snow on Mount Tarawera, Mount Ngongotaha, and at Mamaku is not uncommon during the winter months but snow falling around the city is a more rare occurrence.

Nicola Marvin and Vanessa Marvin play in the snow at Mt Ngongotaha. Credit: Daily Post, Monday 7 September 1981, p.1.

On the 13th July 2017 around 12.45pm snow was seen falling in the city. It was not heavy enough to settle on the ground. Library staff remember standing at the windows at the Transition Library in Pukuatua Street watching the snow fall.

Metservice meteorologist Tom Adams told the Daily Post that snow fall in Rotorua was a 'a good indication locals won't have to go far to find snow'. Adams added that the snow in the city is 'sleety snow' and that this type of snow 'never lasts long but it's pretty cool to have it down at those residential levels.'

The outskirts of Rotorua, such as Mamaku, Waikite Valley, Reporoa and Broadland had heavier snowfall, and many locals made the trip to play in the snow. Rebecca Breitler of Ngongotaha took her sons Daniel, 15, and Josh, 13 to Mamaku to see the snow. She told the Daily Post that 'it's beautiful but cold, and good timing for the school holidays.'

Snow falls in Haupapa Street, 13 July 2017. Credit: Daily Post

Snow at Waikite Valley, 13 July 2017. Credit: Daily Post

Previously snow fell in the city on the 15th August 2011. It was reported that is was first time in at least five decades of snow falling in the city centre.

On the same day snow fell in downtown Auckland for the first time since the 1930s. It was also reported that the level of snow that fell in Wellington had not been seen since at least the 1970s.

Rotorua Primary School principal John Naera told the Daily Post that is was the first time it had snowed in his eighteen years at school. He said 'it was a real experience for [students], some of them haven't [touched] snow before. They were running around with open mouths and with their tongues out trying to catch snow flakes.'

Snowing in the city, 15 August 2011. Image and video credit: Adrian Hodge Photography

In 2006 while it did not snow in the city. There was another record. The maximum temperature for the 19th June was only 5.9°C, which was the lowest since at least 1964.

Also on 29th June 1994 while it did not snow in the city snow was reported falling in the areas of Fenton Park, Koutu and Sunnybrook. Orion Street resident Doug McLellan told the Daily Post that it was the first time snow had fell since he moved to Sunnybrook four years earlier.

This week Rotorua reached its coldest temperature for the year with a morning temperature of -2.6°C on Thursday. Will we see snow again?


This post was written by Graeme. With thanks to Adrian Hodge Photography and the Daily Post.

Volcanic Eruption of Mt.Tarawera 10 June 1886

The aftermath, 1886-1948.

4 days after the eruption: “Joe Warbrick and C. Humphreys approached Rotomahana by a side route… as they neared the shore of Lake Tarawera there was heavy deposits of mud, but further inland was dry earth. Until approaching the lake once more, it became so soft; they sunk up to their thighs. Rotomahana was still throwing volumes of mud to the height of hundreds of feet. Te Tarata was invisible for steam…The southern portion of the mountain appeared rent from top to bottom. Flames were still visible. They counted seven active craters on Tarawera Peak and others on Ruawahia” Star, 14^th June 1886. p.3 

 #Note: Ruawahia is just one of the domes on Mt. Tarawera, also known as the Tarawera Range. 

1 month after the eruption: “an expedition just returned from Tarawera reports that parts of the terraces are definitely destroyed. Mr Warbrick states that 600ft of made ground has been upheaved and a volcanic pit nearly 1,500 ft. deep has been excavated close to the site of the Terraces.” Thames Advertiser, 10 July 1886.

Mount Tarawera Eruption : Untitled, 20.June 1886, Bay of Plenty, 

by Charles Spencer. Gift of J Hector, 1951. Te Papa (LS.004494)

How the men got their measurements is not told, so one assumes they guessed? An official survey was done soon after the eruption by S. Percy Smith who was the Assistant Surveyor-General. You can read what was said via Papers Past, A.J.H.R online or by reading the bound version in the Don Stafford Room, 2nd Floor of Rotorua Library.

Here are some excerpts from the report :
S. Percy Smith notes some events that occurred in the thermal region some years prior to the eruption. In the Taupo Volcanic Zone as it was then known :

In March 1880 the coasts of the Bay of Plenty were strewn with dead fish of all description, with no sign of disease... the conclusion was that White Island had somehow, perhaps through a subterranean vent, spewed out sulfurous matter into the sea around or near the island.

April 1881 a sudden and unaccountable rise in the waters of the Green Lake.
October 1883 "without warning, the water suddenly rose four feet causing a flood to rush down the Wairoa Stream into Lake Tarawera, whilst at the same time the olive-green colour of the lake took on a muddy appearance"

In 1885 "the crater lake of White Island disappeared leaving a dry bed... it remained so to the present time" also "the hot springs at Mt Edgecumbe and Te Teko became much more active"

S. Percy Smith further quotes Gilbert Mair's observance of the 'Atmospheric influence in the case of Te Tarata, the White Terrace..."The great crater, which is about 90 ft. in diameter is usually full of deep-azure-blue coloured water, occasionally boiling up 10-15 ft. ; but when a keen south wind blows the water recedes and you can descend 30 ft. into the crater, which remains empty until the wind changes..."  Apparently not an uncommon event, Josiah Martin records a similar but more spectacular event on 22 November 1885.

On the 10th March 1886, S. Percy Smith was at Wairakei... "on visiting the geyser known as the Twins, he found it to be throwing up water to some 20 ft. after some years of dormancy.

S. Percy Smith concludes that "the Tarawera eruption appears to offer an example of the first stage in the formation of a volcanic mountain. It is in fact an incomplete effort to form a volcano. Whether the energy has exhausted itself in this effort, and matters will remain in a state of quiescence for long ages until it shall have again gathered strength to advance another stage remains to be seen. 1887.

Also around this time (1885) Mt Ruapehu which had previously been considered dormant by both Maori and European settlers was found by Mr W. Cussen on visiting the crater lake to be hot which meant it was no longer dormant.

We know from NZ history that there was a disastrous lahar flow from the crater lake of Mt Ruapehu on Christmas eve of 1953 at Tangiwai, another shortly after midnight on 22 June 1969, a lahar on Mt Ruapehu destroyed the kiosk at the Whakapapa ski field. Thanks to the lateness of the hour, no skiers were at risk. In 1995 from late August to September Mt Ruapehu erupted sending ash clouds kilometers into the air and debris down the mountain.   Those of us living in Rotorua at the time of the 1996 event will remember the ash cloud that descended on us, turning a bright sunny day into gloom and the gas given off from the ash. affected many residents.  (However the roses in my garden loved the ash and bloomed better than ever before in the summer of 1996.)

This photograph was taken outside the Library
around 10.30 am. on the 17th June 1996.

For those of us who live in Rotorua, Mt Tarawera seems to be dormant, however GNS predicts it will blow again at some point in the future. A report written by I.A. Nairn in 1993 gives a very detailed account of what could happen.