Snow on the Passes
Whether snow or ice is forecast on the Crown Range and the Kawarau Gorge, how low the snow line is dropping, and the official road status for each — so you know whether to carry chains.
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Whether snow or ice is forecast on the Crown Range and the Kawarau Gorge, how low the snow line is dropping, and the official road status for each — so you know whether to carry chains.
The valley itself rarely snows, but the roads out of Queenstown cross country that does. This is the forecast weather over each pass — how much snow is coming, how low the snow line is dropping, and whether a cold, wet night could ice the road. It does not tell you whether a road is open: check the official status for each pass before you set out.
Cold on the tops — no snow forecast.
Modelled forecast, as of Mon 04:56. Refreshed about every half hour.
In winter, carry chains for any alpine road around Queenstown. From May 2026, failing to fit them in snow or ice on a Council-managed road can bring a $750 fine.
Cold on the tops — no snow forecast.
Snow line staying around 1,450 m, above the 1,076 m summit.
New Zealand's highest sealed road, topping out at the 1,076 m Crown Saddle. It snows and ices readily in winter and is the first local road to need chains.
Carry chains in winter. This is a Council-managed road, and from May 2026 not fitting them in snow or ice can mean a $750 fine.
Road status: QLDC Winter Road ReportsThe council posts a road report each morning between 6:30 and 7:00 and runs a live webcam at the Crown Range summit. Crown Range is a Council road, so its status comes from here, not the state-highway feed.
No snow forecast.
Snow line staying around 1,450 m, above the 300 m summit.
The low river-gorge route east, and the safer winter alternative when the Crown Range is snowed in. It runs near river level (around 300 m), so it ices rather than snows, and closes mainly for rockfall at the Nevis Bluff.
Road status: NZTA Journey Planner (state highways)SH6 is a state highway, so closures and conditions for the Kawarau Gorge come from NZTA, not the council.
This shows the weather over the tops, not whether the road is open
Forecasts here talk about the snow line — the height snow is falling to. When it drops below a pass's summit and there's moisture about, snow falls on the road itself. The Crown Range summit is 1,076 m, so a snow line down around 1,000 m means snow on the top of the pass.
When the Crown Range snows in, the Kawarau Gorge (SH6) is the usual lower, safer way to Cromwell and Central Otago — longer, but open more often. Check both before you decide which way to go.
Fetched Mon 04:56. These are modelled estimates for each summit, not measurements, and not a decision about the road. Weather data by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).