A cold front, which closed several roads over the South Island this morning (Thursday), is moving over the North Island today, lowering snow to 5-600m over the lower and central North Island. MetService is forecasting settled weather behind the cold front today or tomorrow before another set of weather features moves over the country this weekend.

April Clark, MetService meteorologist, said, “Snow affecting the upper South Island, including the higher suburbs of Christchurch, is on the easing trend, with showers and snow set to gradually clear.”

“As for the North Island, showers and bitter conditions are expected throughout the day, with snow lowering to 5-600m over southern and central regions. Road Snow Warnings are out for the Remutaka Hill Road, Desert Road and Napier-Taupō Road this afternoon and evening” Clark continued.

The settled, but icy, weather, which is already gracing the lower South Island today, is due to a ridge of high pressure which has started to move in behind the cold front. Skies are expected to clear over the rest of the country tomorrow as the ridge moves north.

Clear skies after this polar blast makes a perfect recipe for freezing overnight temperatures. Many inland regions of the South Island are looking to drop more than a couple of degrees below zero overnight tonight. Queenstown is looking to plummet to -5C tomorrow, which could be their coldest temperature this year so far, but well off their all-time low of -12.2C in July 1995 . The coldest temperatures in the North Island will most likely happen Saturday morning with Masterton set to drop to -3C.

“The Women’s World Cup quarter finals in Wellington and Auckland on Friday have picked their weather window well; with today’s wet weather forecast to clear by both kick-offs tomorrow. However, layers will be the key, even if the packed stadiums will help raise the cool temperatures by a degree or two!” Clark commented.

Over the weekend a couple of fronts moves northwards over both the North and South Islands, though most of the rain associated with each will be contained to western regions, leaving the east mostly fine. Both daytime and overnight temperatures make a slight recovery as these fronts move over.

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