Three hundred people trapped on Mt Hutt

[Mark]

Three hundred people are stuck on Mt Hutt as high winds and poor visibility shuts the only access road up to the Mid Canterbury ski field.

320 people are being looked after in the base lodge after the road was closed about midday because of the bad weather.

Mt Hutt Ski Area manager James McKenzie says students from Methven's Mt Hutt College are among those waiting for the weather to clear.

"The majority of those are children from Mount Hutt college, years 7 to 12, they're up on a school trip, they braved the elements to get up here this morning and get some tracks on the new snow."
James McKenzie says weather forecasts are suggesting it will clear up enough within the next hour to get people and their vehicles down the road safely.

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/18779834/three-hundred-people-trapped-on-mt-hutt/

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[Weather Display]

how does this happen for a well forecasted southerly front?

[gabba]

Good question. Also was midweek, and from what I could figure only 30 or so of the 300 weren't from the school. Generally the mountain will open if its fine in the morning and they can get a half day, so I reckon a lot of the blame falls on the school for this