June 1961: Although on the whole it was not a particularly cold month, June will be remembered in some parts of the country for an unusually high frequency of snow, with heavy falls in the last few days of the month. Stock problems were anticipated in Southland and West Otago. It was too wet in parts of the Auckland and Hawkes Bay provinces, but else where conditions were satisfactory. A strong southwesterly gale did some damage in northern Northland on the 9th.
Rainfall: Rainfall was close to or somewhat above average over most of the country. Double the normal amount fell near Auckland, Tauranga, East Cape, and in central Hawkes Bay and parts of Central Otago. It was drier than usual in Manawatu and Wellington, parts of Nelson and Marlborough, and coastal districts of Canterbury and Otago. Some stations in these areas received less than half the normal value. Considerable flooding occurred in parts of Northland, Auckland and Bay of Plenty following heavy rain on the 12th-13th. On the 12th up to 8” was recorded near the Bay of Islands, and on the 13th two falls exceeding 12” were reported near Tauranga. Serious flooding also occurred in Havelock North following falls of up to 8” in the hills to the south on the 23rd.
Temperatures: In the Auckland and Hawkes Bay provinces temperatures were mainly 1F-2F above average. Elsewhere they were close to normal, except in some inland areas of North Canterbury, Marlborough, and Nelson, where they were 1F-2F colder than normal. The heaviest snow to low levels fell between about the 27th and the 30th in southwesterly conditions. In parts of Southland and West Otago a foot of snow was reported to have fallen. Dunedin and the high country of the central North Island were also affected. Falls of snow occurred on several other occasions, notably from the 5th to the 8th and the 22nd to the 24th.
[I was at university - the snow that fell in Dunedin late in the month was noteworthy, but otherwise the month was brighter and drier than usual, and much better than the dismal July that followed.]
Sunshine: Eastern districts from Masterton to Dunedin, the far north and the Cook Strait area were favoured with 15-50 hours more sunshine than usual, the greatest surplus being in the Christchurch-Ashburton area. Elsewhere sunshine was mainly somewhat below average. The deficiency amounted to 40 hours in parts of the Bay of Plenty and 25-30 hours in Waikato and North Taranaki.
[Some totals: Te Hapua 142, Kaitaia 152, Kerikeri 122, Whangarei 119, Auckland 110, Tauranga 107, Whakatane 129, Taupo 104, Hamilton 88, New Plymouth 93, Masterton 127, Gisborne 133, Napier 133, Wairoa 134, Paraparaumu 122, Ohakea 105, Palmerston North 97, Levin 105, Wellington 128, Wanganui 107, Westport 117, Hokitika 114, Greymouth 101, Haast 127, Nelson 139, Blenheim 172, Grassmere 159, Kaikoura 167, Mt Cook 74, Methven 162, Christchurch 154, Tekapo 102, Timaru 148, Waimate 150, Oamaru Aero 147, Omarama 142, Dunedin 117, Queenstown 68, Alexandra 113, Invercargill 68, Campbell Is 7, Chatham Is 75].
Sources: NZ Met. Misc. pub. 107 (Climatological table, NZ Gazette) and NZ Met. Misc. pub. 109 (Meteorological Observations) - additional comments by the poster.
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May 11, 2018, 10:25:31 PM