Motorists were warned to be cautious when driving through hazardous conditions in the district.
Meanwhile, on Stewart Island, where snow fell on the beaches for the first time this year on Monday, one Dunedin resident had the first day of her Rakiura holiday slightly interrupted.
"Locals have told us it was the heaviest snowfall over here in 35 years," Nik Hurring told the Otago Daily Times.
In the north, Auckland's harbour bridge was closed for more than an hour as wild winds howled through the city.
MetService forecaster Sonja Farmer said the wind gusts, which reached 98km/h at their peak, had eased to 40km/h this afternoon and light winds were expected for the rest of the week.
Fine spells will increase on Wednesday in the City of Sails, with isolated showers retreating to the west in the afternoon and southwesterly winds dying out overnight Tuesday.
Down south, the snow and cold sou' westerlies were easing from mid-afternoon, with the flurry of weather warnings and watches lifting late Tuesday.
But motorists should continue to take care, as ice was likely on the roads overnight and on Wednesday morning.
Temperatures will remain below average for the rest of the week however, with a last lash of the cyclone as it moves on.
But inland South Island residents have been warned of plummeting temperatures overnight, with a bone-chilling low of between -3 and -6 degrees expected, WeatherWatch warns.
Frosts are expected about all of Marlborough, Canterbury and South Westland tomorrow morning.
Daytime temperatures will just reach 10C in Wellington tomorrow, while Gisborne and Napier are expected to reach only 14C.
"But there are some scorchers coming up this weekend, it may not be fine but the temperatures will be much high," Farmer said.
Kaikōura will likely see the mercury pass 22C at the weekend, with 21C expected in Christchurch.
And tomorrow will usher in a break in the wild weather as a ridge of high pressure sets itself up over the country.
Most regions will see temperatures return to double figures, with just parts of Southland and coastal Otago struggling to rise above the single digits.
"Some inland areas and South Canterbury/South Westland will have sunny skies and light winds, don't expect balmy warm weather but it should be quite pleasant in these spots," Weatherwatch says.
Metservice's short forecast:
Northland to Manawatu, including Coromandel and the central high country
Mostly fine. Isolated showers, with snow above 700 metres in the south today.
Showers retreating to the west coast tomorrow afternoon.
Bay of Plenty and Gisborne
Fine. However, isolated showers for the ranges tomorrow afternoon and evening.
Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa, also Horowhenua to Wellington
Mainly fine. Isolated showers today. Severe westerly gales in exposed places, easing this evening.
Western ranges of Nelson, also Buller and Westland
Showers and southwest gales north of Hokitika, with snow above 200 metres at first, gradually easing. Fine elsewhere.
Remainder of Nelson, also Marlborough and Canterbury
Mainly fine. Showers about Banks Peninsula today with snow above 400 metres.
Otago, Southland and Fiordland
Snow showers, widespread and heavy for southern Fiordland, Southland and Clutha, easing tonight and clearing by tomorrow evening.
Chatham Islands
Showers, some heavy and possibly thundery. Snow to sea level tonight and tomorrow morning.
Metservice's extended forecast
Thursday
Isolated showers in Northland, eastern Bay of Plenty and Fiordland, and developing about the ranges in Westland later. Mainly fine with early frosts elsewhere.
Friday
North Island: fine, with cloudy periods in the west.
South Island: rain in the west, possibly heavy. Scattered rain for Stewart Island.
Fine with high cloud elsewhere. Severe gale nor' westerlies for Canterbury High Country and further south.
Saturday
North Island: isolated showers in the west, south of Hamilton. Fine elsewhere. Gale or severe gale westerlies in Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay, south of Hastings.
South Island: rain in the west and far south, possibly heavy for a time. High cloud elsewhere. Severe gale westerlies for Canterbury High Country and further south.
Chatham Islands
Mostly cloudy with sou' westerlies on Thursday. Fine spells on Friday and Saturday. Northerlies developing later on Friday, becoming strong on Saturday.
