Grab your hat, scarf and jacket - Auckland is in for its coldest day of the year today as a wintry blast moves up the country, bringing snow to many parts of the South Island.
MetService said the cold front started "knocking on the door" in Auckland last night - with an expected low of 8C - and would bring cold, showery conditions and strong southwesterly winds today.
Forecaster Leigh Matheson said places exposed to southwesterly winds, such as Manukau Heads, could have gales of up to 110km/h.
The temperature in Auckland was expected to reach just 13C today. However, with the strong southwesterlies Ms Matheson said it would feel more like 10C.
"It's going to seem like a very blustery day."
Conditions would improve tomorrow with the southwesterlies easing off, showers clearing and temperatures rising. The polar blast was also expected to bring widespread snowfalls in the South Island, with temperatures expected to drop to 0C in Christchurch last night.
Snow fell overnight in inland Southland, with falls expected in Otago, inland high country and Fiordland.
Sleety showers may strike Christchurch this afternoon, limiting the day's high to 7C. Wellington would also "cop it a bit" with cold southerlies, sleet, and an overnight temperature of 5C and 8C.
Senior Sergeant Bruce Ross says extreme caution is advised on Dunedin's roads this morning.
"Lookout Point is getting pretty heavy and a lot of cars are stuck up there so people just be very careful getting to work because you're only going to cause problems, crashes and whatever and someone's going to get hurt."
Road snow warnings are in place for Arthurs Pass, Lindis Pass, Porters Pass and the Milford Rd in the south, and the Desert Road and Rimutaka Hill Road in the North Island.
Karena Colle, who owns Valentino's Italian Restaurant in Turangi, said her customers told her snow had started falling on the Desert Road just before 6pm last night.
She hoped it was a sign of a great snow season for the region.
"Let's hope by another month we get the snow fields open. It's good for the fishing when you have a really good cold snap in May and June, gets the trout running up the rivers for fishing. That helps too."
There could be snow in the hill suburbs in Wellington later on today.
MetService forecaster Sarah Garlick says snow is expected above about 500 metres this morning - affecting the very top of the Rimutaka Hill road.
"Expecting that to lower to about 300 metres this evening which also could affect some hill suburbs."
Ms Garlick says it is currently seven degrees at the Wellington Airport - the forecast high today is nine.
Commuters heading over the hill from Wairarapa are being urged to take extra care.
NZTA Wellington operations manager Mark Owen says hopefully the road won't close.
"We've got weather monitoring stuff on the hill so we can predict what's coming and the guys will be out patrolling the road, working with the police and if conditions become too dangerous we may have to look at closing the road."
HIGHS AND LOWS
Whangarei: 14C high, 5C overnight
Auckland: 13C high, 6C overnight
Hamilton: 10C high, 2C overnight
Taupo: 8C high, -2C overnight
Tauranga: 13C high, 3C overnight
Wellington: 8C high, 5C overnight.