Response: What to do during a snowstorm

Secure your whare/home and critical buildings by closing the windows and doors.

Close off rooms you are not using to conserve heat.

Stuff towels or rags in cracks under doors.

Close curtains and blinds at night. Open them in the day to let the sun warm the rooms up.

If necessary, conserve fuel by keeping your whare/home slightly cooler than normal and wearing extra layers.

When heating using a fireplace, wood stove, or space heater, use fire safeguards and ventilate properly.

Keep one or two taps running slowly during periods of extreme cold. Water moving through the system should prevent lines from freezing.

If your pipes freeze:

1. Turn off water at the mains tap immediately.
2. Completely open all taps. As you treat the frozen pipe and the frozen area begins to melt, water will begin to flow through the frozen area. Running water through the pipe will help melt ice in the pipe.
3. Apply heat to the frozen pipe using a hair dryer or by wrapping the pipe with towels soaked in hot water. Do not use a blowtorch or other open flame device.
4. Apply heat until full water pressure is restored. If you are unable to locate the frozen area, if the frozen area is not accessible, or if you cannot thaw the pipe, call your plumber.

• If you have to go outside, dress for the conditions
  • Wear several layers of loose fitting lightweight warm clothing, rather than one layer of heavy clothing. The outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent.
  • Cover your hands and fingers. Mittens are warmer than gloves.
  • Ensure your head is well covered.
  • Cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.
• Watch for signs of frostbite. These include loss of feeling, and white or pale appearance in extremities, such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, and the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, get medical help immediately.
• Watch for signs of hypothermia. These include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and exhaustion. If symptoms of hypothermia are detected, move to a warm location, remove wet clothing, warm the centre of the body first, and give warm, non-alcoholic beverages, if conscious. Get medical help as soon as possible.
• Regardless of your age or physical condition, avoid overexertion in the winter.
  • Be aware that cold weather puts a strain on your heart, even without exercise.
  • Be careful when shovelling snow, pushing a car, or performing other tasks.

Drive only if it is absolutely necessary. It only takes a few centimetres of snow on a road to make driving dangerous. Avoid travel until conditions have improved.

If you need to drive during snow conditions:

• Stay up-to-date with the latest weather information from MetService including Road Snowfall Warnings, and check traffic and travel updates from Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency before you go.
• Think about where you’re going and which route you should take. Choose safety over convenience. Stay on main roads and avoid back road “shortcuts”.
• Ensure you take your mobile phone and car chargers with you.
• Keep others informed of your schedule and primary and alternate routes.
• If possible, do not travel alone.
• Travel in daylight. Avoid driving at night, when hazards rapidly multiply.
• Take or fit tyre chains if the roads are not cleared and the snow is deep, or the roads are icy.

Further information about winter driving is available on the Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency website.

• If you are aware of a snowstorm coming, try to move your livestock off the high country and any south-facing areas so that they are not as exposed to the elements and can seek shelter.
• Move animals to sheltered areas. Shelter belts, properly laid out and oriented, are better protection for cattle than confined shelters, such as sheds.
• Have a water supply available. Most animal deaths in winter storms are from dehydration.
• Further information on protecting livestock during a snowstorm is available on the Ministry for Primary Industries’ website.