This page is a brief history of significant snowfalls in Christchurch and Canterbury.
![Riccarton Mill in a snowy July 1895 [1895], CCL PhotoCD 4, IMG0018](https://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/Photos/Disc4/IMG0018.jpg)
If there’s snow in Christchurch
- Check the Christchurch City Council website for more information;
- Go to the Environment Canterbury website for Canterbury information.
A timeline of Canterbury snowfalls
Significant snow storms occurred in Christchurch in 1862, 1895, 1901, 1918, 1945, 1992, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
1862
1895
- Photograph: Riccarton Mill in a snowy July 1895
- Snowballing, Christ’s College, Christchurch July 1895
1901
- Snow in Christchurch, Star (Christchurch), 4 July 1901
1918
14 July 1945
- There was record snowfall 30 to 40 cm over most of the city.
- The snowfall ranged between 25 cm to 60 cm in rural areas.
- The snow was followed by -1 to - 7 °C frosts that froze the snow to power and telephone lines, resulting in several broken and bent poles.
- Power was cut off for about a week in many rural areas.
Photos of the July 1945 snowfall on Canterbury Stories
![The Big Snow, [1945] - Mr Bettle outside his shop in Heathcote Valley, CCL PhotoCD Gimblett Collection Gimblett-0084](https://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/Photos/GimblettCollection/Gimblett-0084.jpg)
1977
- 17 May - Snow, cold delay clean-up as storm moves north The Press, 19 May 1977
- 8 September - Snow stops traffic, kills lambs The Press, 9 September 1977
27 August 1992
The "Big Snow of 1992" was Canterbury's heaviest snowstorm for 30 years. Snowfalls of 5cm to 30 cm fell in Christchurch and over 100cm fell on the Port Hills.
Across the Canterbury Plains approximately 40cm of snow fell, which in some locations fell on top of snowfall from the previous month.
The 1992 snow storm killed over one million stock in Canterbury and damaged buildings in the Christchurch and surrounding areas. Its overall economic impact was estimated to be somewhere between 50 and 100 million dollars.
The 1992 snowstorm had a recurrence interval of about 50 to 100 years. However, while this snow storm was particularly heavy in Christchurch, other areas of the Canterbury Plains seem to have been less affected than in previous events.
Information from CCC archives: Christchurch City Update ’97 — Natural Hazards
2002
- Story behind the big snow The Press, 22 June
2003
- 26 June - Hardest frost in 50 years The Press, 27 June
- Wrap up, folks – the worst’s not over yet The Press, 5 July
2004
- 27 August - Bitter August biggest snow month since 1988 The Press, 28 August
2006
- Photographs of the storm and its aftermath were captured in a commemorative book:
Snow storm. - NASA’s Earth Observatory web site posted a report and a detailed satellite image.
2005
- 19 September - Storm batters city and farms The Press, 20 September
2010
- Canterbury lashed, power cut The Press, 8 June
2011
- Wintry blast brings country to a standstill The Press, 25 July
- Christchurch’s new white zone The Press, 26 July
2012
- Thousands warned of night with no power The Press, 6 June
Flickr set of images of the 2012 snow
2013
- Southern polar blast continues The Press, 21 June
More information on snow in Christchurch and Canterbury
- Titles about Snow events in Canterbury
- View our snow, winter and Matariki images
- Search our Papers index for more snow news stories
- Our snow photos from the Discovery Wall
- Snow photos from Canterbury Stories
- Christchurch snow photos on Flickr