Balmy weather has followed Tauranga's coldest night in two years, with the city recording New Zealand's highest temperature yesterday.
People across the country have rugged up this week against a wintry blast travelling up the country.
Temperatures last night were expected to fall to just 2C, following suit from the night before which resulted in frosts and clear blue skies throughout the region yesterday morning.
Despite beginning the day with 2C, Tauranga reached a maximum of 14C yesterday afternoon - the hottest temperature in the country.
New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers president Neil Trebilco said the cooler temperatures were cautiously welcomed by growers, most of whom had already harvested their crops while others waited a few more days.
Heavy frosts were feared by orchardists because extreme cold could result in bursting the cells inside kiwifruit and making entire crops inedible. The last time this happened in the Bay was about 12 years ago, Mr Trebilco said.
However, he said frosts could be beneficial because they helped kill off pests such as wasps, which reached near plague-like conditions because of last year's mild winter.
May 28 was the coldest night in Tauranga last year, with temperatures dropping to just 3C.
This week's cold nights were the result of a cold front sweeping its way up the country, with snow and sub-zero temperatures creating havoc in areas such as Dunedin and Otago.
Schools were closed and roads were shut down as the worst of this year's winter weather hit parts of the South Island. Forecasters warned motorists of black ice and snow.
Metservice meteorologist John Law said Auckland recorded a low of 4.5C before dawn yesterday morning, Wellington reached 5C, while Hamilton was -1C before dawn.
Meanwhile, the coldest places in the South Island were Tekapo, which recorded -6C; Queenstown -5C, Christchurch -4C and the Central Plateau of the North Island was -5C overnight yesterday.
Mr Law said high pressure building from across the Tasman Sea also helped to push away any active weather in Tauranga, meaning any heat from the day "just disappeared".
Mr Law said the brisk temperatures helped to create a "real nice, crisp start to the day".