Weather: Snow and frost on way as temperatures set to drop to single digits

A 6am flight out of Wellington was delayed this morning because of ice on the plane as another polar blast sweeps across New Zealand.

Snow could blanket large parts of the South Island’s high country, and temperatures may drop to single digits for some. Snow could also move across parts of the North Island in high areas such as the Central Plateau.

Daytime temperatures are also relatively low with Auckland forecast to reach just 13C tomorrow, Hamilton 12C, and Wellington only 9C.

Sleet fell on Molesworth St in Taitā, Lower Hutt yesterday. Photo / Melissa Nightingale

An unsettled southwesterly flow is expected across the country this week with a succession of fronts bringing a continuous influx of cold air from the south.

Southland and Clutha can expect snow as low as 300-400 metres, while Dunedin, Otago and the Queenstown Lakes District are forecast to see snow above 400-600m.

Road snowfall warnings are in force for Milford Rd, Crown Range Rd, the Lindis Pass, the Dunedin to Waitati Highway, Arthurs Pass, and Porters Pass.

Road Snow Warnings have been issued for all the high passes of the South Island tomorrow, along with some lower roads in the far south https://t.co/aIkbAI2pg0

Road disruptions are likely so change plans if needed & keep up to date with the latest info from NZTA @WakaKotahi_news pic.twitter.com/gDtb3XuUp0

— MetService (@MetService) August 8, 2023

The snowfall warning for Milford Rd is set to expire at 11pm this evening. Snow is forecast to lower to 800m early this morning, then gradually lower to 300m during this afternoon and evening, while snow should clear west of the tunnel.

From 2am to 8am today, 2-4cm of snow is expected above 800m, and then from 8am to 11pm, an additional 2-4cm of snow is expected to settle on the road above about 300m, mainly south of Lake Gunn.

Snow is forecast to affect the Crown Range Rd and the Lindis Pass until 6pm, with up to 6cm to settle on the road near the summit, with lesser amounts down to lower levels.

From 9am to mid-afternoon, up to 2cm of snow may lower to 200-500m on the Haast Pass and the Dunedin to Waitati Highway, with up to 1-2cm to settle on parts of the roads.

Meanwhile, MetService meteorologist Jessie Owen said overnight low temperatures are expected to take a tumble with sub-zero lows expected for much of the South Island, while large parts of the North Island can expect lows in the range of -2C to 3C.

Here's a look at today's daily maximum temperatures...lots of single digits over southern New Zealand. Queenstown only managing 6 degrees, that's about 4 degrees below their average for time of year. pic.twitter.com/QNTUWW34Vs

— MetService (@MetService) August 8, 2023

Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill are all expected to reach 8C tomorrow, with Queenstown only warming up to a chilly 6C.

“This will make for some frosty mornings so ensure you rug up warm for your morning commutes, and remember to take some extra time to defrost your windscreens before heading out,” said Owen.

“With this southwesterly flow covering the country, there will definitely be an extra nip in the air.”

Another cold front is expected to move northwards over the South Island today, and the North Island early tomorrow.

This will bring a period of rain, with snow falling to low levels in the south and east of the South Island, as well as central and southern parts of the North Island - good news for ski fields, but make sure to check the road conditions before heading out as snow is likely to affect high country roads.