Police have praised the majority of motorists on Central Otago's snowy roads over the weekend, with one or two notable exceptions.
''Generally, most road users have heeded the weather forecasts and driven to the conditions, which is pleasing to see, or avoided travelling at all, and we did notice a reduction in traffic, which was great,'' Sergeant Derek Ealson, of Alexandra, said.
Three successive days of snow in the Maniototo and Ida Valley resulted in the closure of several council roads and sections of state highways, so fine weather yesterday was greeted with relief by residents as the thaw began.
Sgt Ealson said there were a few ''rare'' occasions over the weekend when motorists had to be rescued after disregarding the weather forecast or the road conditions.
''An Alexandra man travelling from Palmerston on the Pigroot, State Highway 85, on Friday night claimed he had not seen the road closed signs. The road had a heavy coating of snow and he slid off the road at Kyeburn and into a snowdrift and had to be rescued.
''Not only did he place his life at risk, but he also endangered the life of the police officer who had to rescue him,'' Sgt Ealson said.
The man was uninjured. The Pigroot had been closed for several days and due to its elevation, motorists should expect the road to be closed in such weather conditions, Sgt Ealson said.
A Central Otago emergency operations centre, set up on Friday, was ''stood down'' yesterday after weather in the region improved over the weekend.
The Maniototo and Ida Valley remained blanketed in snow but fine weather meant roading contractors were able to ''get on top of the situation'' and clear most of the roads in the district, Central Otago District Council emergency management officer Hamish Keith said.
Problems with keeping the roading network clear in the face of the prolonged snowstorm, combined with a forecast for more snow over the weekend, prompted the emergency alert on Friday.
Mr Keith said the activation of the emergency centre, while only a precaution this time, gave a chance to test arrangements and demonstrate how agencies working together and sharing resources could aid the emergency response.
Central Otago residents had displayed their resilience in recent days, banding together to help one another out, he said. Severe frosts are expected in the coming days and motorists were warned to watch out for black ice.
