A major Otago highway will stay closed overnight after heavy snow fell across the region in a last blast of the meteorological winter.
NZTA said State Highway 87 from Outram to Middlemarch would remain closed overnight due to snow, while State Highway 1 between Dunedin and Waitati reopened just before 2pm.
"State Highway 85 between Kyeburn and Palmerston is open – but subject to an area warning because of snow," the agency said.
"On State Highway 88 at Sawyers Bay, caution is being urged because of surface flooding, and a strong wind warning is also in place in Otago, with extra care required for high-sided vehicles like campervans, towing vehicles and motorcycles when travelling through the area.
"People are reminded to take care on the roads around the lower South Island today as snow, rain and winds continue to make driving conditions tricky in places."
It followed a week of heavy weather for the region, and MetService warned that "a cold southwesterly flow will bring snow to low levels in the south tonight, before winds turn northwesterly later in the week".
Meteorologist Ethan Walton-Jones said the South Island was kicking off the week with a distinctly wintry feel.
"Snow is expected to drop close to sea level across parts of the south on Monday night. You may need to keep the winter woollies handy for the start of the week, but a change is on the way, with winds shifting to warmer northwesterlies from Wednesday," he said.
This wind change will bring a marked increase in temperatures across the South Island, with daytime temperatures forecast to rise into the low twenties on Thursday, while overnight temperatures would remain in the double digits for many, especially those in the east.
"The North Island will generally see more settled conditions than southern parts. However, westerly winds will bring some variability, especially in western areas, which can expect bursts of showers throughout the week, particularly on Monday and Thursday. The North Island follows a similar trend in temperatures, with highs reaching over 20 degrees in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay from Wednesday."
Walton-Jones said with the snow level lowering on Monday, there were also road snowfall warnings in effect, and people should check the snow level in their local forecast if planning to drive.
PowerNet said there were some unplanned outages for properties across Southland and Otago due to adverse weather.
"We did get power restored to most of you last night, but there have been a few more additional outages today, and this weather certainly makes the mahi extra unpleasant for our crews," a spokesperson said online.
"There are also lots of individual faults – only one or two properties affected – which can take us a little bit of time to find and identify the cause so that we can restore your power. These individual faults won't always show on our outage map - if you're unsure about whether we know about it - give us a call on 0800 808 587."
Full watches and warnings list
Strong Wind Warning - Orange
Hawke's Bay south of Hastings, and the Tararua District – 11 hours from 8am to 7pm today.
Strong Wind Watch
Tasman District – 10 hours from 8am to 6pm today.
Southern areas of Southland, Clutha and Dunedin – four hours from 8am to noon today.
Road Snowfall Warning
Lewis Pass (SH7) – 13 hours from 10am to 11pm today.
Arthur's Pass (SH73) – 17 hours from 1am to 6pm today.
Lindis Pass (SH8) – 22 hours from 8pm Sunday to 6pm today.
Crown Range Rd – 23 hours from 8pm Sunday to 7pm today.
Milford Rd (SH94) – 22 hours from 8pm Sunday to 6pm today.
Dunedin to Waitati Highway (SH1) – 20 hours from midnight Sunday to 8pm today.
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