The ski season has kicked off with the boom of an avalanche. Photo / Thinkstock
As the country's frosty temperatures edge towards record lows there's no escaping from the truth: winter is coming.
Parts of New Zealand got down to a biting -20 degrees overnight - a mere 5 degrees from the country's all-time low recorded in 1903.
But there's no reason to be glum while you don your winter woollies.
Here's the top five reasons to perk up and put a smile on your frozen face as the weather dips to single digits:
1) Dieters rejoice! Cold weather can make you lose weight.
Your thermal-clad body works extra hard in winter to keep you at a balmy temperature, burning calories as it goes. So to amp it up just take off the layers and turn your heater down. A study has shown the average person spends five times more energy shivering compared to resting so just think of it as a built-in Vibra-Train fitness machine. And you'll be able to spend all the money you save from your heating bill on a new skimpy swimsuit or tight t-shirt for that toned body come summer.
2) Get ready to shred the gnar - the ski season has kicked off with the boom of avalanche.
Ski fields are citing primo conditions set to freeze the mitts off snow bunnies, with all of our South Island fields on the go and Ruapehu's gates ready to open on Saturday. At least a dozen natural avalanches have occurred Mt Hutt's basin since the start of June after massive dumps of pow. The overnight frosts are also bringing bluebird days so throw on your beanie and hit the slopes.
3) Fine wine time is creeping closer - and the nippy weather could brew a stellar vintage.
Cool to cold winters, without vine-killing plummeting temperatures, can make for a fruitful vineyard harvest. Cross your fingers for a frost-free spring and a dry summer to get a punchy pouring next year.
4) Bin the tissues, cold weather doesn't necessarily mean colds.
Numbing temperatures actually kill off disease-mongering bugs, which can help to keep your immune system fighting fit. Studies also show cold temperatures can reduce inflammation and pain, meaning there's no reason to skip out on that muscle ache-inducing run up Mt Eden tonight - and the frosty clear skies will make the view worth it.
5) It's not all bad for those green-fingered gardeners among us, either.
A cold winter can provide flowers and seeds with the conditions to blossom even brighter in the spring. Different plants like different temperatures though, so if your garden doesn't bud so well this year settle in with your sweater and seed catalogues to plan for next year's bloom.
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Maurice Gee wrote more than 30 novels for adults and children.
