Weather Workshop: 5 day forecast for NZ

The long range forecast from Weather Workshop for all of New Zealand to midnight Saturday:

Situation: An active, cold southerly trough should move off to the
northeast of the North Island overnight as a ridge of high pressure
intensifies over the South Island. Later tomorrow the ridge is
expected to spread further north onto the North Island. Thursday
sees an anticyclone centred near Northland as a northwest flow
strengthens further south ahead of a large extensive trough
over the western Tasman Sea. This trough is likely to slowly
move onto the country during Friday and Saturday.

NORTHLAND, AUCKLAND, COROMANDEL PENINSULA, BAY of PLENTY/ROTORUA,
WAIKATO, WAITOMO, TAUMARANUI, TARANAKI, TAUPO and TAIHAPE: Showers,
some heavy and frequent for a time today with snow about the
volcanic plateau and Desert Road. Early tomorrow showers clearing
from most places but a few persisting in the east about the main
eastern ranges and from Coromandel Peninsula to Northland. Fine on
Thursday then cloudy periods developing in the west from Waikato
to Taranaki. Remaining fine about Bay of Plenty Friday, elsewhere
cloud increasing with showers developing. Rain becoming widespread
Saturday.

WANGANUI and MANAWATU: Showery today with snow to the main ranges.
Tomorrow showers becoming confined to the eastern places with fine
spells increasing in the west. Cloudy periods and dry Thursday.
Showers developing Friday with strengthening northwesterlies.
Rain and colder southerlies likely Saturday.

WELLINGTON: Showery and cold today with southerlies but fine
periods increasing. Some further snow to the ranges. During
tomorrow showers becoming confined to the eastern hills with
fine periods lengthening elsewhere. Fine Thursday. Friday sees
increasing northerlies with cloudy periods and late showers.
Rain Saturday and turning colder with southerlies.

GISBORNE, HAWKES BAY and WAIRARAPA: Showery today with snow to
the ranges. Showers gradually becoming confined to the coast
tomorrow with skies clearing inland. Mostly fine and frosty
Thursday. Friday sees dry conditions with northwesterlies and
high cloud. Rain and cold southerlies spreading north during
Saturday.

NELSON: Showers slowly clearing today then fine and frosty
tomorrow and Thursday. Rain developing Friday with increasing
northwesterlies then rain areas slowly clearing on Saturday as
winds turn southerly.

MARLBOROUGH: Showers becoming confined to the coast this
afternoon with southerlies easing and skies clearing inland.
Tomorrow fine and frosty in most areas but cloud may persist
about the coast. Fine with northwesterlies Thursday. High
cloud thickening Friday then late rain. Widespread falls
Saturday, winds turning to colder southerlies.

BULLER, WESTLAND and FIORDLAND: Remaining showers soon clearing
from Buller today otherwise fine and frosty. Cloudy periods
south of the glaciers tomorrow with a few light showers. During
Friday cloudy with drizzly rain spreading as far north as central
Westland. Widespread rain from early Friday then rain areas
gradually clearing from the south early in the weekend.

CANTERBURY and OTAGO: Mostly fine and frosty inland with remaining
coastal showers clearing overnight. Tomorrow a few cloudy periods
about the south coast otherwise fine. Cloud increasing Thursday
but staying dry with increasing northwesterlies. A period of rain
Friday then easing to showers with colder southerlies spreading
north. Snow to the ranges. Showers becoming confined to the south
coast Saturday and clearing inland.

CHATHAM ISLANDS: Showers becoming less frequent tomorrow with
southwesterlies easing then just the odd light shower Thursday.
Cloudy and dry Friday with strengthening northwest winds then a
period of rain Saturday.

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