The weather system brought heavy snowfalls to Mid Canterbury and Otago on the 17th. Southland was also affected. Heavy snow fell for about 18 hours until the morning of the 18th.

Numerous roads were closed by snow.

Large areas of the South Island east of the Southern Alps were blanketed with snow on the morning of the 18th.

Heavy snow was swept into Canterbury by a bitter southerly.

Snow fell to sea level in Canterbury.

State Highway 1 was closed from Dunsandel to Temuka from around 5pm on the 17th, for the first time in 26 years. A queue of about 100 vehicles was stranded at Dunsandel.

State highways in South Canterbury were closed at various times during the afternoon of the 17th. Main Canterbury roads closed on the night of the 17th were: State Highway 8 between Omarama and Twizel, State Highway 77 between Darfield and Rakaia Gorge and State Highway 79 from Rangitata to Fairlie. Highways closed on the 18th were: SH8 from Omarama, SH80 from Pukaki to Mt Cook and SH83 from Kurow to Omarama. On the 20th, SH80 to Mt Cook was still closed to all traffic because of snow and ice.

Many schools closed early.

Numerous vehicle accidents occurred.

Mid Canterbury received 10-40 cm of snow.

Hundreds of rural people were isolated in their houses.

An icy evening pushed power consumption to the highest level recorded in the Orion network's area.

The power cuts were a blow to Canterbury farmers.

The snowfall to sea-level in mid-Canterbury was the worst recorded for many years.

State Highway 73 through Arthur's Pass was open on the night of the 17th but West Coast travellers were to urged to use Lewis Pass instead. Chains were essential on the road on the 18th.

Roofs collapsed in Ashburton.

Power lines and poles collapsed under the weight of the snow in and near Ashburton. Over 4000 homes were left without power on the 17th. More than 2000 homes in rural areas surrounding Ashburton were still without power on the next morning.

Some fires started when snapping power lines set trees alight.

Ashburton received 15-30 cm of snow.

In Ashburton, the Red Cross had to provide emergency accommodation for stranded motorists because motels and hotels were full.

Christchurch Airport was closed overnight from about 6pm on the 17th due to snow on the runway. About 19 Air New Zealand flights were cancelled and a Qantas flight had to return to Auckland.

Christchurch received 10 cm of snow.

A DC-3 plane was stuck in the snow on Glentanner Airfield on the night of the 19th after takeoff was aborted.

Methven received 40-50 cm of snow.

The Hermitage received 100 cm of snow.

State Highway 80 to Mount Cook was closed for more than two days.

The access road to Mt Hutt was buried under 4 cm of snow.

A farm on the foothills of Mt Somers received 40 cm of snow.

A truck jack-knifed on Rakaia Bridge.

A bus had to swerve to avoid a braking car and became bogged on the side of the road 15km north of Timaru.

Every motel bed in Timaru was full on the night of the 17th because of the stranded travellers.

Lake Coleridge-Windwhistle School was closed for four days in a row, from the 17th to the 20th, because of snow and heating problems.

Heavy snowfall occurred in inland Otago on the 17th and 18th.

The snow was 10-40 cm deep in many places.

Most main highway routes to Central Otago were closed in places on the night of the 17th because of snow. State Highway 8 from Cromwell to Lindis Pass was closed to all traffic from the night of the 17th to the 20th due to snow and ice. State Highway 85 from Kyburn to Omakau was closed on the 18th. The Milford Road was also affected by snow. On the 18th, all roads in Central Otago were reported treacherous and many were closed.

Most Central Otago schools were closed or opened late on the 17th. Schools were expected to remain closed in many parts of Central Otago on the 18th.

Shops were expected to remain closed in many parts of Central Otago on the 18th.

Power had been restored to about 400 homes in Central Otago on the 20th.

The snowfall in the Wakatipu, Wanaka and Central Otago was one of the biggest for years.

Alexandra received up to 15 cm of snow on the 17th.

Snow was still falling lightly in Alexandra on the 18th.

In Alexandra, residents were warned by police not to go out on the 18th unless absolutely necessary.

Abandoned vehicles dotted roadsides in the area on the 17th. More than a dozen skiers and boarders came to grief on the side of Coronet Peak Road. Many motorists careered off roads and into each other, but no injuries were reported.

Coronet Peak reported 3 cm of snow on the 18th.

In Cromwell, residents were warned by police not to go out on the 18th unless absolutely necessary.

Snow closed Queenstown Airport on the 17th.

In Queenstown, residents were warned by police not to go out on the 18th unless absolutely necessary.

In Wanaka, residents were warned by police not to go out on the 18th unless absolutely necessary.