Friday, August 5, 2016
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Carina Spengler, 11, (left) and Irene Clulle, 14, working on a snowman at Mount Hutt College. PHOTO AMANDA KONYN 040816-AK-010
Snow crew on red alert BY SUE NEWMAN
SUE.N@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
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While most people around the Ashburton District slept last night, staff from Fulton Hogan were cat napping, spending the night on high alert. Those men were the snow plough operators who become the critical players if the Ashburton District is knee-deep in snow this morning. With snowfalls forecast overnight, Ashburton manager Darcy Roberts said his crews had spent yesterday ensuring machinery was in the right place to start road clearing in the early hours of the morning if needed.
Yesterday crews were out early in the Methven area clearing foothills roads, but the falls were light and by 11am all roads were clear. While snow fell in the foothills area and in the back country, road clearing was not needed for farm access, Mr Roberts said. “We’ve been up and checked both gorges but there’s not enough to grade; it’s when it’s too deep for farmers to get their tractors out that we need to go in,” he said. Weather forecasters are predicting significant overnight snow and with that in mind, Mr Roberts sent staff home early
yesterday anticipating an early start this morning. “We’re prepared in case we have to go out over the weekend, but we don’t want to have our guys on high alert for too long.” Between six and nine snow-moving machines are in strategic spots in the foothills area to ensure any road clearing needed could begin early morning, he said.
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