It has been a frosty start to August, with temperatures plunging below zero in parts of Waikato.
The coldest temperature recorded in the region on Monday was -1.6C at Taupō Airport. That temperature dropped to -2C on Tuesday.
MetService weather forecaster Gerard Bellam told the Waikato Herald while temperatures were below zero at the airport, there was frost in Taupō's township as well, with a temperature of 0C recorded there.
Meanwhile, Hamilton Airport recorded a temperature of -1.3C.
Te Awamutu resident Vin Mills snapped a photo of the frost on his car yesterday, where he wrote the time and temperature recorded on his phone’s weather app.
“It was roughly 7.03am and the weather app said it was 0C,” Mills said.
Frosty mornings are set to continue through the week, with MetService predicting below-zero temperatures for parts of Waikato.
Bellam said Hamilton could expect frosts to Thursday at least.
In Tokoroa, temperatures were predicted to drop to -2C this morning and -1C on Thursday.
Taupō residents were also in for a cold -2C today and -1C on Thursday.
MetService’s website predicts cloudy periods and isolated showers with southwesterly winds for the area of Waiouru and the Desert Road.
Temperatures in this part of Waikato are expected to dip below 0C until Thursday before falling back to 0C on Friday and into the weekend.
While there is no snowfall expected at Tongariro National Park on Tuesday or Wednesday, Bellam said this could change later in the week.
“There could be snow down to 1400m on Thursday and some snow showers around on Friday at Tongariro National Park.”
Bellam said this could mean some good news for anyone planning to head in the direction of the ski fields this weekend.
Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.
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