Here comes the snow

Motorists take it easy as snow blankets the edges of the Napier-Taupo Rd. Photo / Alan Gibson

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South Islanders have woken to the coldest day of the year so far, while the North Island's first big dumping of snow is set to melt away.

The Radio Network's weather analyst Philip Duncan said there was a -8C degree frost in Invercargill this morning with Lumsden waking to -6, Dunedin -5 and Queenstown -4.

"This is due to cold air sucked up by the North Island's rain storm. Light winds and clear skies mean big frosts right through the South Island this morning".

Christchurch also woke to a frosty morning with -3C.

Overnight rain will have washed away most of the North Island snow. But yesterday, most motorists were taking it easy on the Taupo-Napier road after 10 to 15cm of snow fell on Sunday night, blanketing Mt Ruapehu and dusting the upper parts of the Desert Rd.

MetService forecaster Oliver Druce said the North Island was likely to warm up today and tomorrow after single digit highs south of Hamilton yesterday. But the respite is likely to be short-lived with showers forecast for much of the island on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.