15 August 2011, the day low level snow fell across the upper North Island

On the morning of the 15th August 2011, a powerful surge from the Polar vortex blasted into the upper North Island.

It started snowing on the Kaimai and Coromandel Ranges before moving onto Mount Hobson, Great Barrier Island. Snow then fell briefly in Auckland city for the first time since 1939 but did not settle.

Snow was also reported from the Waitakere Ranges, Drury, Waiuku, Clevedon and the Bombay Hills as seen on this video.

The snow then reached Northland, with hillside properties around Dargaville reporting snow falling. Mount Tutamoe was blanketed with 5cm.