Daily Snow Report: The system isn’t finished yet
Tuesday, 11 August’s Daily Snow Report shows this week’s system still has some fight left in it, with heavy snow continuing over the Eastern Cape even as…
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Tuesday, 11 August’s Daily Snow Report shows this week’s system still has some fight left in it, with heavy snow continuing over the Eastern Cape even as other warnings begin to ease.
The Orange Level 6 warning for disruptive snow in the Eastern Cape, and the Yellow Level 2 warning for disruptive snow spanning parts of the Eastern Cape, Free State and western KwaZulu-Natal, are both still in effect today, with heavy snow continuing to fall over the Eastern Cape specifically.
REMEMBER | Long weekend snow warning: what it means for your road trip
The South African Weather Service has also issued a new Yellow Level 1 warning for damaging winds, affecting sea navigation between Table Bay and Cape Agulhas, valid from this morning until Wednesday afternoon.
Extremely high fire danger conditions are in place over the Richtersveld Municipality in the Northern Cape.
Cloudy, cold conditions across the country
According to SAWS, most provinces can expect a cloudy and cold to very cold day.
Gauteng sees cloudy conditions with scattered showers and thundershowers, while light snowfall remains possible in the south during the evening.
Mpumalanga follows a similar pattern, cloudy and cold to cool, with light snow possible over the Southern Highveld and Escarpment areas later in the day.
Wet, very cold and windy conditions continue over the southern parts of the Free State, Northern Cape, Gauteng and Mpumalanga, along with the interior of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, with rough seas continuing along the coast.
Why this system is taking longer to move through than expected
Most of the snowfall was expected to begin clearing by today, though forecasters had already flagged that snow could continue over Lesotho and the Eastern Cape’s higher ground for longer than the rest of the country.
That is exactly what has played out, with the Eastern Cape still seeing heavy snowfall today rather than a clean handover to calmer weather.
Farmers and the public are still advised to take necessary precautions while these conditions persist. If you’re still travelling through any of the affected provinces, here’s what the long weekend snow warning means for your road trip.
I’ve tracked this Daily Snow Report system from its very first warning through to today, and it has genuinely held on longer than most expected.
Has this week’s system lasted longer in your area than the forecasts predicted?
Let us know in the comments below, Mzansi …
Is it snowing in your area? If so, please send your photos to info@thesouthafrican.com.