KEY POINTS:
Make the most of the settled weather because it's about to turn nasty.
A large Antarctic depression is roaring away in the Southern Ocean and is set to pounce on New Zealand around Sunday. It's a two prong attack with firstly another area of low pressure forming in the Tasman Sea which will dump some decent rainfall across the Southern Alps and north facing regions of the North Island.
This is very good news for the hydro lakes and could have a significant impact on them. The second part to this system is a particularly cold south westerly kicking in on Monday in the far south.
At the time I wrote this story (Friday morning) the system was looking set to dump snow across Southland, Otago, Canterbury and Central Plateau. Some predictions I've seen show snow falling over Christchurch.
By Tuesday roads through the central South Island may well be closed, and by Wednesday it's the North Island's turn. The Rimutaka Ranges, the Napier Taupo highway and all roads around Mt Ruapehu are in the firing line for snow.
In fact, snow is even forecast to fall to relatively low levels on the hills around Taupo. Initially I thought that could mean the Kaimai's and even the Coromandel Ranges may get a very light dusting on some of their highest peaks, but the latest models show the winds turning more westerly so that's now looking less likely.
I also don't want to get ahead of myself - at this stage this is just the potential and systems move very quickly at this time of year, which is why I suggest checking www.weatherwatch.co.nz throughout the next several days to check on all the latest weather forecasts and news.
We have 30 weather reporters based across the country and Richard Green - our South Island weather analyst - based in Christchurch.
So will your town get snow? Well at the moment our 72 hour forecast shows snow falling to low leveels in Southland, Otago and Southern Canterbury. In the North Island Waiouru and Ohakune are probably the only towns to get a dusting, but sleet is a possibility around Taupo.
The storm isn't likely to linger with a high in the Tasman Sea creating stronger and slightly warmer westerlies mid way through next week. But a repeat snow fall is possible in Alpine areas late next week. The shortest day of the year is on Saturday - and this is when Winter really kicks in to gear - and this year is no exception!
Philip Duncan
For the latest on this winter storm keep up to date with The Radio Network's new Weather Watch Centre, the Newstalk ZB weather website or the NZ Herald weather section.
