Icy start but 14C high heralds easterlies to beat Jack Frost

Visitors to the top of Mt Eden enjoyed the clear winter day in Auckland on Sunday. Photo / Greg Bowker

Another fine, frosty morning is on the cards as cold weather continues to grip the country.

MetService meteorologist Stephan Glassey said that like yesterday the clear, cold weather would continue for most of today before rain made its way in from the east later this week.

Yesterday, temperatures in Auckland plunged to below freezing with a temperature of -3C recorded at Whenuapai Aerodrome. Mr Glassey said these temperatures were "very cold" for Auckland.

"It's certainly going to be cold again this morning but perhaps not quite as cold. There looks like there could be a little bit of cloud pushing in from the east which might inhibit the cooling."

A high of 14C was forecast for Auckland today with clear blue skies.

A front coming in from the Tasman Sea would reach the country late tomorrow and move eastwards on Wednesday, bringing rain to many areas with some heavy falls in the north and west of both islands.

"Because the wind direction is predominantly northeasterly rather than a southerly it won't be anywhere near as cold as last week," Mr Glassey said.

"It will be too warm for snow to fall down to low levels like it did last week."

Meanwhile, ski bunnies across the country were making the most of last week's fresh dumping of snow.

Turoa skifield said on its website that cold temperatures on Saturday night had kept the snow in great condition yesterday, and at Whakapapa cool dry conditions made the fields perfect for snow sports.

A Whakapapa Holiday Park spokesman said it had been a bustling weekend.

Happy Valley had been the only part of the skifield open until Saturday when the weather hit, he said.

A number of trails on the upper mountain were now open and he was hopeful more would open up throughout this week.

"Most people have been saying it's not too icy, and apparently the snow has been really good on trail," he said.

"We've had huge numbers of people coming to the area and the last two days by midday all the carparks have been full."

Both Turoa and Whakapapa skifields had forecasts for clear skies today.

The front was expected to clear the country on Thursday, before a low was forecast to approach on Friday.

That could mean more cold weather hitting by the weekend, Mr Glassey said.

Today's outlook
•Whangarei: Fine spells, a shower or two. Northeast develops. High 15C Low 10C.
•Auckland: Fine. Northeast develops in the afternoon. High 14C Low 9C.
•Hamilton: Fine, with morning frost. Light winds. High 13C Low 2C.
•Tauranga: Fine with light winds. High 13C Low 6C.
•Wellington: Fine with northerlies developing. High 11C Low 6C.