KEY POINTS:
The first real blast of winter started to hit today as a bitterly cold southerly whips up the country.
The MetService issued a severe weather warning with cold, windy and snowy conditions forecast in the south and winds in the North Island.
But skifields are hoping for a kickstart to their season.
Gusts of around 100km/h buffeted Invercargill airport overnight and snow is expected as low as 100m above sea level in the south.
Some snow is also expected in the North Island in the coming days.
From 6am today to 6am tomorrow up to 25cm of snow is expected above 400m in Otago and Southland, and lesser amounts down to about 100m. Further snowfalls are expected through tomorrow and Saturday.
"This is our first real taste of winter, and for many it will be a marked contrast to what was a mild May," said Bob McDavitt of the MetService. "Besides the cold outbreak in the south we're also expecting it to be windy further north, between Taranaki and the Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa areas."
Southern Alpine Recreation, representing southern skifields, said that if the forecasts were right it would mean a significant boost to the start of the ski season after an unseasonably warm May.
Mt Hutt and Coronet Peak skifields both hope to open on Saturday and the snowfall late this week is likely to determine whether they can. Mt Hutt got 25cm last weekend, but is relying on more over the next couple of days.
Farmers, with fresh memories of devastating snowstorms last winter, are preparing for the first big polar blast of 2007 with trepidation.
Otago Federated Farmers president Richard Burdon said most stock had been brought down from the high country.
"Farmers are in winter mode now. The mild May we have had has been fantastic but it normally brings some worries because what you miss out on the swings, you normally gain on the roundabouts."
A spokeswoman for St John Ambulance central region appealed for people to keep an eye on elderly neighbours as their condition could deteriorate rapidly in very cold weather.
"If in doubt call an ambulance."
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research national climate centre said temperatures in the first part of this month were expected to be cool with further cold snaps likely, but overall winter temperatures were likely to be above average nationwide.
The outlook
Today: Cold, SW winds
Tomorrow: Cold, W winds
- with NEWSTALK ZB
