By Alani Janeke
It’s time for soup and pancakes as the first signs of winter are appearing, with light snow on the Drakensberg Mountains and snow in Lesotho, while parts of the country have had more rain.
Currently, weather models indicate that the chance of more snow over the country by the end of April is low. It is, however, not impossible, says Johan van den Berg, an independent agricultural weather expert.
This morning’s (16 April) snow on the Drakensberg peaks fell after a weak cold front moved across the country from the south, and converged with moist air above the Drakensberg Mountains on Tuesday.
Farmers around the Drakensberg Mountains in KwaZulu-Natal this morning told African Farming they only saw snow on the highest peaks and that warmer weather is predicted later in the week.
With the late planting of some summer crops, there is concern the cold that usually occurs after snow can lead to frost conditions.
Van den Berg says the chance of frost is low for now because of the extremely wet conditions. Ideal conditions for frost occur when dry, cold air and minimum temperatures of 5°C or lower occur.
“In the long term, weather models show cold and frost will only occur from mid-May, while conditions may get even colder by the end of May.”
According to the Southern Drakensberg Facebook page, much snow appeared on the Kotisephola Mountain Pass (better known as the Black Mountain Pass), while less snow fell on the Sani Mountain Pass.
The South African weather service has sent out a warning of disruptive, widespread rainfall that may occur today (16 April) across KwaZulu-Natal and the coastal areas and adjacent parts of the Eastern Cape.
Also read:
Rainy weather may delay frost but slow crop maturity
