Road snowfall warnings remain in place for the Desert Rd and Rimutaka Hill Rd however a warning for Napier-Taupo Rd was lifted just after 8pm on Friday.
In Wellington up to 3cm of snow is expected to settle on the Rimutaka Hill Rd by midday Saturday.
Low snow was visible on the hills behind Desert Rd as temperatures dropped to 1C at 4pm today, where less than 1cm of snow is set to accumulate by 9am Saturday.
An earlier road snowfall warning stated 6cm of snow was expected in that time period.
"We are waiting for the freezing level to drop. As night goes on we are expecting a few centimetres of snow on high roads in the North Island," said Adams this afternoon.
Adams said the roads needed to be cold enough for snow to settle, not melt, when it hits the ground.
"As the sun goes down the roads will cool off."
Adams said motorists planning on driving along the Desert Rd, Napier-Taupo Rd and Rimutaka Hill Rd should be careful.
Rain, snow and frosts were also expected to make driving tricky in the South Island where the frost risk is extremely high for most areas. There was also a chance of black ice tonight.
The good news is, there will be "plenty of blue skies around" on Saturday and Sunday as a ridge of high pressure makes its way across the country according to Adams. But the sun won't hide bitterly cold temperatures.
Aucklanders are in for some chilly days with lows of 4C and highs of 13C this weekend.
Those further down the North Island, including Taupo, Taumarunui and Hamilton should wrap up warm with temperatures set to plummet to -3C on Saturday.
Cantabrians are also expected to be hit with freezing temperatures, dropping to -4C tomorrow.
This week's polar blast, that left inland areas of the South Island covered in snow, today caused major traffic woes across the south, with vehicles slipping uncontrollably on ice-coated roads.
Snow, ice and flooding affected a number of highways across Canterbury to Southland.
The NZ Transport Agency said while all alpine passes have remained open, the wintry conditions were proving challenging for motorists.
Police issued a warning to all road users saying the cold snap had left southern roads in a dangerous condition and pleaded with motorists to drive carefully.
Treacherous conditions were causing problems for many drivers particularly around Invercargill and on the Clinton Highway between Gore and Balclutha earlier today.
In one lethal icy patch five trucks and cars slid off the same stretch of road north of Invercargill.
Snow flurries fell across the Christchurch Port Hills this morning and were also forecast to fall on the Dunedin foothills today.
The NZ Mountain Safety Council also advised those heading to out enjoy themselves in the snow to check the NZAA site for avalanche risks first.
The Council also has a YouTube playlist with video tips on alpine and snow safety.
