Whanganui weather: A dry weekend ahead and snowfall warning in Ohakune

The snowfall warning for Desert Road is for between noon and 9pm Thursday. Photo / Waka Kotahi

Road snowfall warnings had to be issued throughout Thursday for the Desert Road.

The warnings were issued for nine hours between noon and 9pm.

Snow showers are forecast to affect higher parts of the road until late on Thursday, and 3cm to 6cm of snow may settle on the road at the highest point of the Desert Road, with lesser amounts down to 800m.

MetService meteorologist Luis Fernandes said snowfall in the Ohakune township was not ruled out, but it was more likely to be sleet and not settle on the ground.

"Ohakune township's altitude is around 610 metres, so it's lower than where snow will fall."

Between 10pm Wednesday and 10am Thursday the Whanganui weather station at the airport recorded 43.8mm of rain, which was pretty significant, Fernandes said.

In Whanganui, Fernandes said the heaviest rainfall period was between 6pm and 7pm Wednesday when 12mm of rain fell.

Only hourly data was available, so within that hour the 12mm could have fallen within 10 minutes, but there was no way of knowing, he added.

"Since midnight there has been fairly persistent rainfall in Whanganui."

Fernandes said there was only a very small possibility of rain on Friday, with a dry weekend ahead.

A maximum temperature of 12C is forecast for Friday, with Saturday getting up to 14C and 15C on Sunday.

"Saturday and Sunday early mornings will be quite cold with minimum temperatures of 3C, most likely around sunrise."