At peak about 3000 customers, mostly rural, were without power.
Continuing winds gusts at hurricane force about 160kmh kept teams from working in some areas.
Since the severe spring storm in 2013 and milder events in other years, a lot of work had been done to remove or cut back trees near lines, Orion chief executive Rob Jamieson said.
“Generally, the challenge never goes away but we try to mitigate it. Landowners are generally very good but there’s an issue with fast-growing trees like pines.”
North Canterbury Federated Farmers chairman Lynda Murchison said there would be lamb losses but she had not been receiving any calls for help from farmers.
Several dairy farmers were among those who lost power but most now had generators, after the earthquake experiences in 2010 and 2011 and the 2013 storm.
North Canterbury federation dairy chairman Michael Woodward said the main risk was the wind-chill impact on new-born calves and the risk to them as cows bunched up during the hail or very cold rain squalls.
Wild weather created “fun and games” on Jeanette Maxwell;s Mt Hutt sheep and beef property.
But while the icy cold winds and snow made going tough in the calving paddock, lambing wasn’t due to start till today.
“Yes, there was a bit of fun and games with the calves this morning but we have good shelter and just thankful we didn’t have lambs to deal with as well,” she said.
The much-needed rain didn’t happen with just 10-15mm an average fall.
While there were a few lambs along the foothills most farmers were yet to get into the thick of it.
Irrigators across Canterbury appeared to have escaped any significant damage.
