South Island roads reopen after spring snow dump

Snow and ice were affecting some highways across the South Island, with NZTA urging caution for drivers. (Source: 1News)

Roads in Otago and Southland have reopened following a spring snow dump, with the cold weather now heading towards the North Island.

Yesterday MetService warned a cold front moving up the South Island was forecast to bring heavy rain and snow for some areas, and severe weather watches and warnings were issued.

All watches and warnings had since expired.

Snow blankets southern roads as spring cold snap bites - watch on TVNZ+

Overnight, New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said State Highway 87 between Middlemarch and Outram, in Otago and State Highway 96, at Oreti Plains in Southland, were closed due to snow and flooding.

Both have since reopened - with NZTA warning people travelling these routes to take extra care.

"No other state highway closures are currently in place owing to the current weather event, but general caution is being encouraged where snow and flooding remain," NZTA said.

Earlier, MetService meteorologist Devlin Lyndon told 1News the cold feature sitting from about Buller to Christchurch was "bringing plenty of rain to the west and snow to some of those higher elevations".

He said the colder air behind the front had seen temperatures drop, providing perfect conditions for a spring snow dump.

"Already today, looking at some of the observations at Mount Cook, for example, it looks to have been about 5cm settled right down to the village there, and a number of other places from Queenstown northward with snow down to low elevations, which has affected a few of the mountain passes there."

As for rainfall, Lyndon said there had not been "any massive accumulation", but that some places would "certainly be feeling a bit damp this morning".

"The likes of Franz Josef, we're looking at about 58.2mm over the past 12 to 24 hours, Westport 44mm, Milford Sound 20.9mm, so that's sort of the range we're looking at."

Looking forward, he said the front bringing heavy rain and snow was "expected to continue moving forward through today and eventually make its way onto the North Island late afternoon or early evening".

He said this could impact areas such as Wellington, Taranaki, as well as western parts of the northern half of the North Island, including Auckland and Northland as well.

"But it's pretty fast. It'll likely bring rain to many northern areas of the North Island through Friday, but it does move on by the end of Friday," he said.

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