Raetihi farmer Bruce Parkinson brought down a mob of two-tooths from higher ground with about 20cm of snow on Friday, and reported them being in good order. He’d been able to move other stock around on Wednesday when the snow was forecast.
“It’s the most we’ve had for a while, but the snow is nothing out of the ordinary for us really.
“It’s okay when you know it’s coming.”
The snow cut power to the farm for a time, as it did to several other North Island high-country areas.
There was no snow, but gale force winds had the same effect on power supplies, for Wairoa farmer Sheena Martin. The rain was welcome after last summer’s dry conditions.
Higher parts of inland Manawatu were snowed in for a time, with loss of power as well.
Most parts of the province didn’t have snow lying, but provincial Federated Farmers chairman Richard Morrison said the area was saturated, with the rain coming after a wet summer and autumn.
Despite the ground being extremely wet, stock condition was very good with good scanning results, and the storm came before the lambing and calving season.
