Re-post of a thread I also popsted in the Gallery section of the African forum


SA Snowstorm Over

The snowfall which caused major road closures across the country is over and skies will start clearing soon, a forecaster said on Wednesday.
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Snow, big freeze sow havoc The snowfall which caused major road closures across the country is over and skies will start clearing soon, a forecaster said on Wednesday.

"The snowfall ended last night [Tuesday]," said SA Weather Service forecaster Puseletso Mofokeng.

Mofokeng said some rainfall could be expected on the KwaZulu-Natal coast between Durban and Kosi Bay on Wednesday morning, but skies would start clearing from noon onwards.

"It is going to remain clear in most of the country."

The Lesotho area would remain cold but no more snow was forecast.

A weaker cold front was expected to hit the country on Wednesday night.

"During the day tomorrow [Thursday], that cold front would be felt in the Western Cape and southern parts of the Northern Cape, but the cold front is not that strong," said Mofokeng.

However, people should still prepare for a cold weekend countrywide.

On Tuesday, heavy snow fell in Lesotho, the Ukuhlamba Drakensberg area, the southern Free State, the Mpumalanga highveld and the Eastern Cape highground.

The N3 highway between Durban and Johannesburg remained closed on Wednesday morning, with travellers not being able to go further than the Free State town of Harrismith, the halfway mark between the two cities.


Army had to be called in to help

Soldiers help snowed-in motorists
2011-07-26 23:44


http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1445/95799bae78d343dc9d3907cf1e1aec3a.jpg

Conditions on the Lootsberg road were tricky today. (News24 User, Fanie Avenant)




Cape Town - The army was called in on Tuesday to help evacuate truck drivers stranded on Van Reenen's Pass after the heaviest snowfalls in KwaZulu-Natal in two decades.

SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini said members of the infantry battalion based in Ladysmith helped move vehicles stuck in the pass.

"Heavy duty trucks had blocked the road, but SANDF members have managed to clear the route to allow for the free flow of traffic," Dlamini said.

Farmers were also reported to have chipped in, bringing in tractors to free cars stuck stuck in the snow on the pass. It is estimated to have been up to 1m deep in some places.

Stay off the roads

Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele said a national joint operations committee was set up to "deal with any eventuality on the country's roads".

He urged road users, particularly those who intend travelling between Johannesburg and Durban, to postpone their trips until the snow subsides and weather conditions improve.

At one stage The N3 highway between Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal was not accessible for a long stretch between Van Reenen's Pass and Villiers.

A report also said that earlier in the day cars lined up bumper to bumper for a 10km stretch between the Tugela and Van Reenen's tollgates near Ladysmith.

The N3 near Ladysmith had been closed to traffic.

In the Eastern Cape, only a few of the roads closed earlier in the day had been re-opened by nightfall.

Trains cancelled

Rail travel was also disrupted on Tuesday.

Long-distance train services were cancelled due to poor weather, the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) said.

"All trains from Gauteng to Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal will be affected and will result in the cancellation of services," Prasa spokesperson Leonard Potgieter said in a statement.

The Trans Natal, between Johannesburg and Durban, and the Amatola, between Johannesburg and East London, would not run on Tuesday, he said.

Cold conditions continue

The South African Weather Service said snowfall was reported in Lesotho, the Ukuhlamba Drakensberg area, the southern Free State, the Mpumalanga Highveld and the Eastern Cape highground.

In KwaZulu-Natal, the snow is expected to make way for heavy rains and gale force winds.

It will remain extremely cold in the Eastern Cape, and over the southern parts of the Mpumalanga Highveld, with snowfall a possibility.


All pics courtesy of News24

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1446/68e16c2576974096b6bcb6f1f718e0bb.jpg

Harsh weather conditions near Nottingham Road in KwaZulu-Natal has caused havoc leaving several of the routes closed to traffic due to snow. (Netcare 911, Sapa)

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1446/c813e8f347a6496e94a950658b43bd93.jpg

The N3 highway at Van Reenen's Pass between the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal remains closed as a result of heavy snowfalls. (Netcare 911, Sapa)

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1446/f6322ac1f4d74892852c498f9e2b633d.jpg

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1446/8df01d3d593d48aea918dcb9d148d9a4.jpg

News24 User Janse Van Rensburg sent these photos from Volksrust. Volksrust is a town in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa on the KwaZulu-Natal provincial border.
http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1446/af31229aece34835941bc57a01d41d6c.jpg

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1446/13f4518943664d4596dc5f08729f845d.jpg

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The tiny Free State town of Harrismith is under a blanket of snow after heavy falls overnight. The unusual weather caused the closure of a long stretch of the N3 highway, between Van Reenen's Pass and Villiers. (Sapa)

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1446/816e83cbf050427aac60165301a32a5d.jpg

Many travellers moving between KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng had to seek accommodation in Harrismith. (Sapa)


KZN - SNOW

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1446/345e1dab5cca473c9ce21a591d541c37.jpg

(Janse Van Rensburg, News24 User)

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1446/a8aaa43c66e942488160d1b3f6eb8eda.jpg

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1446/8c00059efb1b47c3bc37cc8787ddc8ea.jpg

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1443/02b0ea41194e4248a13e8f585473ffe7.jpg
(Cathedral Peak Hotel)
The mighty Ukahlamba/Drakensberg mountains

South Africans become kids at the first sign of snow, so to all the Snowmen

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1446/fb07dcbcadef45fc822314556c0d7257.jpg

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1446/f38694689d47492bbff2c23b4666f9ab.jpg

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http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1441/ee84fce88ecd4275ad3f12233c82351a.jpg

"Here’s a pic of what my folks woke up to in Cofimvaba Eastern Cape this morning." (Cikizwa Nkuhlu, News24 User)

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1441/7beb28ceec664fdebbf6202d01f538fc.jpg

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1441/eeebd602408240548555a0de60eb3160.jpg

^^ Awesome man! :) Thanks for compiling that.

^^ You welcome boet.

Great thread and pics. Cross-post from the Durban thread...

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Here you go, courtesy of motorists, and posted on the ECR site

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Snow strands motorists - *Photos*

26 July 2011 - 12:12
By Judith Subban

The KZN Transport Department has again urged East Coasters not to make the trip between Durban and Johannesburg until the bad weather lifts.

Officials are now stopping motorists travelling on the N3 near Midmar and traffic is being diverted traffic back towards Durban.

Several vehicles are stuck in snow along the freeway as well as along some of the back roads.

Marlan Padayachee says he and three other people have been trapped in their vehicle for almost eight hours after it was snowed-in during the early hours of the morning.

They had been travelling along the N3 towards Durban when they became stuck in traffic.

Padayachee says they then decided to take the Bergville road to avoid traffic.

"We followed two other drivers and we ended up on the Bergville road and then we got stuck in snow. We have been here since 2am and it is a very isolated spot, it is absolutely freezing and we are just using the heater in the car and trying to get some warmth. We don't have any food and water as well," said Padayachee

The Transport Department say five of its officers, who are in three state vehicles, are also among those snowed-in at Van Reenen.

It has added a grader is now on it way to the area to help clear the route.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape Transport Department has appealed to motorists to postpone their trips as several passes remain closed and roads are treacherous as a result of heavy snowfalls.

Department spokesperson Tsepo Machaea says they had to rescue dozens of people trapped in vehicles after they ignored appeals not to attempt to go through passes.

http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/media_stream/kagiso/1/batch_130/1301026/images/stuck.jpg

http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/media_stream/kagiso/1/batch_130/1301026/images/stuck2.jpg

http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/media_stream/kagiso/1/batch_130/1301026/images/stuck3.jpg

(Above: Bulelani Cele sent these photos in from Van Reenen's Pass. He's been stuck there since 7.30pm last night)


http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/content/en/east-coast-radio/east-coast-radio-news?oid=1301026&sn=Detail&pid=490476&Snow-strands-motorists----Photos-


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http://www.timeslive.co.za/Feeds/2011/07/26/814511_696690.jpg/ALTERNATES/crop_630x400/814511_696690.jpg

Source:
http://www.timeslive.co.za/Feeds/Sapa/2011/07/27/snowfall-ends

Just beautiful...I must admit, I love snow and that's why one of the countries for me to visit before I die is Switzerland...

Or just go the Drakensberg! I see Afriski lodge in the Malutis is having a great time of it - heaps of snow. I mean, there is decent skiing within a few hours of Joburg - just go and do it!

^^ Maybe another Tiffendell should open.. Btw what was the reason why they closed?

Or just go the Drakensberg! I see Afriski lodge in the Malutis is having a great time of it - heaps of snow. I mean, there is decent skiing within a few hours of Joburg - just go and do it!


I still prefer Swiss...:)

Nottingham Rd - Himeville/ Underberg

Took a snowtrip roadtrip up to Nottingham Rd from Durbs to check out the snow on Wednesday except it wasn't enough for my crazy family and we decided to go further along some dirt rd that passed Kamberg. It took us a lot higher and almost got us stuck! Fortunately you can rely on a Landie! We ended up helping the Police and a local farmer out and eventually made it to Himeville for a couple beers and then home :)

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/56468650.jpg

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/56468653.jpg

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/56468663.jpg

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/56468666.jpg

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/56468668.jpg

One of the best roadtrips.

Latest on Tiffindell

Tiffindell Property Auction postponed due to legal dispute
Published on April 15, 2011 in Property News 0 Comments
Full Story: Tiffindell Property Auction postponed due to legal dispute

The High St Auction Co has today announced that the auction of the Tiffindell Ski Resort on 12 May 2011 has been postponed. The announcement was made as a result of the ongoing legal dispute between the current owner of the resort and the Liquidators of the previous Owner/Operator Tiffindell Ski Limited (In Liquidation)

“We have taken the decision in conjunction with the current owner of Tiffindell to postpone the auction of this particular property at this stage as we feel it is important that we protect any potential future owner from the current legal dispute” says James Dall, director at the High St Auction Co.

Dall continues “We still retain the mandate to market and sell this property on auction at a later date and will make an announcement on the future date once the legal issues have been resolved.”

High St Auctions Co Press Release

Source: http://thepropertytimes.co.za/2011/04/tiffindell-property-auction-postponed-due-to-legal-dispute.html

Shacky... those pics are awesome. I'm so jealous!!! :)

More, more, more... LOVE Snow!

Look at that snow! So much - please post in the Africa/photo galleries thread -

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1426330

This is a thread for the current SA snow.

what city is officially the coldest in SA?

Its a tie between Sutherland and a little place called Buffelsfontein - both hit -10 quite often, and have been as cold as -18c.

Coldest big city would be either Bloemfontein or Joburg ( as in which one gets to the lowest minimum temp in winter)...

A pano I made after coming down from the pass near Kamberg

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/56486614.jpg

Whoa dude that is sensational!

Wow more snow has hit even in Joburg.

http://www.news24.com/Galleries/Image/Images/MyNews24/Winter%20wonderland

^^
Thanks for the link LADEN

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/7382/midrandsnow1.jpg
Snow in Midrand



Johan15, did Centurion see any flakes?

http://cdn.24.co.za/files/Cms/General/d/1485/fe9f66daf6b74bebad9f69b18b335265.jpg

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150751474820548&set=a.10150751472765548.721129.825830547&type=1&theater

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http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150751497585548&set=a.10150751472765548.721129.825830547&type=1&theater

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150751497665548&set=a.10150751472765548.721129.825830547&type=1&theater

Where are all my pics? :ohno:

Pretty hilarious reading how soldiers are called in when it has snowed. :lol: This is no surprise though, even in European countries like the UK it's traffic chaos when there's only about 5 centimeters of snow. I guess drivers in Sweden (where I come from) are more used to these conditions.. obviously :)

How often does it snow in SA?

Pretty hilarious reading how soldiers are called in when it has snowed. :lol:

It makes sense that South Africa wouldn't have much infrastructure in place to deal with heavy snow falls, such as snow ploughs, because we rarely get such weather in strategic locations. Hence the need for the army :)

How often does it snow in SA?

Every winter. But, more often than not, in sparsely populated highland or mountainous areas. Once, maybe twice a season, a significant snowstorm may occur at lower altitudes, affecting major highways and some major towns, but this often doesn't last more than a day or two out of the total 365 days.

I remember reading that the only ski resort in SA is now closed, is this true? But AfriSki in Lesotho is still operating, right?

its closed during summer but is also being upgraded and expanded with snow machines also being bought to compliment snow in winter

Of course it's closed during summer :D I meant if it was closed for business.

http://www.2oceansvibe.com/2011/03/31/tiffindell-ski-resort-up-for-auction/

But hey, according to this article it's open again! http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=49917