A compact south-to-southwest low rolls up the South Island late Thursday, June 26, 2025, and peaks Friday night time, then fades by Saturday night time. Central Canterbury sits squarely beneath the coldest, moist south-west movement and scores the deepest snow. Queenstown-Lakes grabs a useful top-up however stays in single digits. Ruapehu sees solely a light-weight, wind-blasted coating. After the storm exits, a weak westerly ripple Sunday night time provides a pair extra inches round Queenstown, then the sample dries out. Preserve studying for extra particulars.
Picture: WeatherBell/Powderchasers
Key Factors
GOOD-Central Canterbury jackpot: Mount Dobson 10-16″, Ohau 8-13″, Mt Hutt 6-9″ by Saturday afternoon.-Snow-to-liquid ratios soar from roughly 9:1 Thursday night time to 11-12:1 Friday night time, giving mild, surfy powder.-Temperatures fall into the mid-20s °F Saturday, preserving the brand new snow.-Winds in Canterbury and Queenstown keep reasonable (sustained 10-15 mph, gusts beneath 30 mph), limiting wind-slab danger.
BAD-North-Island winds: Sustained 30-plus mph with gusts to 70-plus mph at Turoa; elevate holds probably.-Low ratios on Ruapehu (about 6:1) imply dense, wind-crusted snow.-Storm ends abruptly Saturday night time; Sunday depends on leftovers apart from a small Queenstown refresh Sunday night time.-Heat begin Friday retains snow ranges close to 5,000 ft; decrease trails start dense earlier than the chilly air arrives.
Picture: WeatherBell/Powderchasers
Chase Forecast
Saturday 28 June — Daybreak Patrol
Mount Dobson: 7-10″ in a single day plus 3-6″ by way of the day, storm complete 10-16″, ratios as much as 12:1, mild winds. Ohau: 6-9″ in a single day plus 2-4″ in the course of the day, storm complete 8-13″, ratios close to 11:1. Mt Hutt: 5-7″ in a single day plus 1-2″ in the course of the day, storm complete 6-9″. These three areas ship the deepest, driest powder of the interval. Should you can solely chase as soon as, make it Saturday morning in Canterbury.
Sunday 29 June
No area piles up greater than 2″ Saturday night time; follow Saturday’s powder stashes in Canterbury the place winds stayed tame and temps stay chilly.
Monday 30 June — Early Turns for Queenstown-Lakes Locals
A weak westerly provides 2-3″ Sunday night time at The Remarkables, Cardrona, and Coronet Peak. Anticipate a mushy reset on a clean Saturday base.
Regional Particulars
Central Canterbury — Mount Dobson, Ohau, Mt Hutt, Porters
Easterly upslope begins Thursday night time with 1-2″ of dense snow. Circulation veers south Friday afternoon, snow ranges tumble from 5,400 ft to three,000 ft, and ratios climb above 11:1. Friday night time is the primary occasion: Mount Dobson stacks 7-10″, Ohau 6-9″, Mt Hutt 5-7″, Porters 3-5″. South-west winds keep beneath 15 mph, so chairs ought to spin. One other 1-3″ falls Saturday, then the storm shuts down Saturday night time as excessive stress noses in.
Queenstown-Lakes — Treble Cone, Cardrona, The Remarkables, Coronet Peak
Moist southerly reaches the basin Friday night time with 2-4″ of moderate-density snow in any respect resorts. Colder air Saturday morning drops ratios towards 12:1, squeezing out one other 1-2″. Whole storm snow sits round 3-5″. Winds stay civil — sustained close to 10 mph, gusts close to 25 mph. A shallow westerly wave Sunday night time brings an additional 2-3″ for a mushy reset Monday. Nice circumstances for native laps however not deep sufficient to justify an extended haul.
Ruapehu — Turoa, Whakapapa
The entrance reaches the volcano late Saturday with 1-2″ of heavy, wind-whipped snow (ratios roughly 6:1). Sustained 30-plus mph winds with gusts into the 70s hammer uncovered slopes; anticipate elevate delays or holds. Snow ranges hover round 6,000 ft, flirting with base elevations and leaving a dense, crust-prone coating. Not definitely worth the drive this spherical.
Backside Line
Load up the automobile and level it at Central Canterbury for Saturday morning. Mount Dobson and Ohau promise double-digit, blower-quality totals with manageable winds — the very best turns in New Zealand this week. Every little thing else is a modest refresher or a wind-beaten tease.
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