About 900 homes in an around Gisborne are without power today, as are some in Motu.
Meanwhile, Civil Defence has contacted motorists who spent the night in hotels and a marae at Matawai and Tiniroto advising them to stay put and to wait for updates on the roads.
Civil Defenceemergency manager Louise Bennett reminded people to delay travel plans and check the transport agency website for updates.
"Please don't be tempted to take the kids out to the country to play in the snow. Remember that all the roads are currently closed. Contractors are working hard to get the roads open."
All Gisborne District Council sports grounds are also closed.
Stranded motorists spent the night in other people's houses after roads around Gisborne closed as snow carpeted the region in a thick white blanket.
Lawrence and Liz Rau, deer farmers who live 1km out of Matawai, took in family friend Tracey Powdrell, her mother and three children, whose trip between Wairoa and Whakatane had to be aborted.
Mrs Powdrell had a slow trip to Gisborne yesterday, but the weather was fine when she arrived there.
However, by the time she reached Matawai the snow was falling heavily, so she pulled over at the dairy and rang Mr and Mrs Rau. She said several other drivers also pulled over.
If SH2 re-opened today, Mrs Powdrell planned to resume her trip.
For now, her children, aged 3, 7, and 9, were making the most of the snow.
"The children are just about to go out and build a snowman and maybe get behind a motorbike on a sack and maybe have a bit of fun in the snow."
Another positive was the "beautiful" scenery the snow had created, she said.
The snow in Matawai. Photo / Liz Rau
Aucklanders Donald and Sally Putan have had an adventurous holiday so far.
After cycling in the Bay of Plenty they left Te Puke yesterday, bound for Loisels Beach, but the trip to Matawai was far from straightforward.
On a steep stretch of the drive Mr Putan thought he would take it carefully.
"But the rain turned to snow and the snow turned to ice."
In the end Mr Putan got a tow up the hill but had to give that up when the person hauling him came across a car that had slipped off the side of the road.
On his own, Mr Putan found himself sliding along. In the end another local towed him to Matawai, where he arrived about 9pm.
"It was probably the longest half-hour of my life," he said of the final part of the trip.
State Highway 2 either side of Gisborne is closed and some motorists travelling between Bay of Plenty are stuck in Matawai, about an hour north of Gisborne.
After a couple of days of light snow that didn't settle, heavy flurries started yesterday afternoon and continued into the evening. Mrs Rau said about a foot of snow had settled this morning. The odd flake was still falling but there were areas of blue sky.
Weather forecast
Today's wintry blasts were expected to die down this weekend.
The snowy weather was moving east and an incoming high pressure system was bringing more settled conditions, WeatherWatch said.
"The high, also known as an anticyclone, will push in over much of the South Island today then much of New Zealand over the next 72 hours," WeatherWatch forecasted.
However, the forecasters expected more snow on the hills around Gisborne.
Anecdotal evidence from Wairarapa to Gisborne suggested some farmers hadn't seen snow so heavy in 30 to 60 years, WeatherWatch said.
"With the high rolling in for most places tonight expect heavy frosts nationwide in sheltered, clear sky areas when you wake up on Saturday morning, too," WeatherWatch said.
The forecasters expected black ice to be a traffic hazard on rural roads this weekend.
Road closure information:
• SH 1 Desert Rd, Waiouru to Rangipo, Wanganui/Manawatu
• SH 4 Raetihi to Wanganui, Wanganui/ManawatuIn the Gisborne area:
• Tiniroto Rd is closed from Brunton Rd to Frasertown. Contractors are working to get the road open today. This means there's no alternative route to Wairoa
• Tarewa, Mata (upper and lower), Waitahaia, Ilungia, Takau and Rakauroa roads are closed
• 4WD access only in Pehiri Rd, where a tree is down
• Motorists are advised to take care because of the greasy condition and snow on Tahora, Parikanapa, Tauwharepapare, Wakarau, Noble Campbell and Wharekopae roads.
