Mixed weather forecast on the cards throughout the country

A storm front moves across Auckland. Photo / Dean Purcell, The New Zealand Herald

A mixed bag of weather is on the cards for the country today with showers for some and sunshine for others.

MetService meteorologist Rob Kerr said there was a weather watch in place for some snow in areas of Fiordland, Otago and Southland last night.

"In terms of what panned out, there wasn't really a lot of power in the showers. Although it was almost cold enough for some snow we didn't quite get there... there might of been a few dustings here and there but there wasn't really anything significant recorded."

In Gore temperatures "were just about cold enough" for locals to have some seen a "few white flakes", Mr Kerr said.

"But the showers themselves weren't really that impressive."

A persistent southwest flow hanging over the country meant more showers for the Otago area today, and showers on the West Coast of the South Island, up to Buller.

"The east coast of the South Island is fine with high cloud at times, and that's the story about the eastern side of the country north from Oamaru throughout the day.

"North of there it will be fine with some variable high cloud. That includes Wellington as well, south of about Paraparaumu it should be a fine day here in the capital."

There would be showers for western parts of the North Island up to Raglan today, and cloudy periods with isolated showers from Waikato up to Auckland.

It would be mainly fine in the Bay of Plenty area, aside from one of two showers about the ranges, Mr Kerr said.

Canterbury's Mt Hutt ski field was opening today, as was Coronet Peak ski field near Queenstown.

In both these areas the weather was looking fine and clear, although there would be some wind at Mt Hutt, Mr Kerr said.

"It's particularly windy about the tops of Mt Hutt... it's gusting sort of 60 to 70km/h at the moment, but it's easing back a little bit.

"It should be a fine day for them up there, with some high cloud. It should be a good day for them today."

Today's forecast:

Whangarei: Fine spells. Southwesterlies. High 16C Low 12C

Auckland: Cloudy periods with the odd shower. Strong southwest. High 15C Low 13C

Tauranga: Fine apart from the odd shower. Strong westerlies. High 16C Low 12C

Hamilton: Cloudy periods and a few showers. Strong westerlies. High 14C Low 11C

Wellington: Fine with strengthening northwesterlies. High 13 Low 9C

Christchurch: Fine with high cloud. Northwesterlies. High 13C Low 4C

(MetService)