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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From Town Tools. For the current version, visit https://www.towntools.org/queenstown-otago-nz/passes
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.
Live forecast unavailable right now
We couldn’t reach the forecast service, so this page can’t say what the snow is doing on the passes. The official channels below still work — start with QLDC Winter Road Reports, and treat the high roads as you would any mountain pass in winter.
Pass by pass
Crown Range Road (to Wanaka & Cardrona)
Forecast for this pass is unavailable right now.
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. Live status: see the Is the Crown Range Open? tool, which reads QLDC's own road-status feed.
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.
Kawarau Gorge, SH6 (to Cromwell & Central Otago)
Forecast for this pass is unavailable right now.
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
Whether a pass is open is decided by its road authority — the Queenstown Lakes District Council for the Crown Range, NZTA for SH6 — and they are who clear and close the roads. A pass can close for ice, a crash or clearing even when little snow falls — and stay open in snow that is being kept clear. Whether a road is actually open is an official decision, not something this page can tell you. Check the status for each pass below before you set out.
Check before you travel
QLDC Winter Road ReportsDaily 6:30–7:00am district road report and the Crown Range summit webcam.
NZTA Journey PlannerState-highway conditions, closures and cameras for SH6 and SH6A.
MetService — QueenstownThe national forecaster's town forecast and any severe-weather warnings.
Worth knowing
What the snow line means
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.