Showers forecast for country, snow likely

Umbrellas will be out across the country in the next couple of days, but not for long as a weather system from the South Tasman Sea will spread rain but move on for another spell of fine weather.

Rain or showers will hit the South Island tomorrow and in to the middle of the week, MetService meteorologist Daniel Corbett said.

"The inbound system will bring a spell of wet weather for many of us for part of this week before things clear up again and a new anticyclone moves in."

Snow is likely on southern South Island ranges from tomorrow.

In the North Island the wet weather might be restricted to just showers.

Calm, fine conditions will return by the weekend.

Meanwhile, very dry conditions in parts of the North Island will only get worse as no significant rain is in the forecast for the Upper North Island for the rest of March.

Western Northland, parts of Auckland, Waikato, King Country, Wanganui and Manawatu will be part of a dry weather pattern according to long range forecast from WeatherWatch.

A large high is expected to roll in this weekend and last well into the first week of April.

Forecast: Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Northland cloudy 23, showers 21, fine 22
Auckland cloudy 22, showers 21, fine 22
Waikato cloudy 22, cloudy 21, fine 23
Bay of Plenty cloudy 23, cloudy 23, fine 22
Taranaki rain 21, cloudy 19, fine 21
Hawke's Bay fine 25, rain 19, fine 21
Wellington showers 20, cloudy 16, fine 18
Marlborough showers 23, fine 18, fine 21
Tasman showers 23, cloudy 20, fine 21
West Coast rain 18, fine 16, fine 18
Canterbury rain 16, fine 16, fine 20
Otago showers 15, fine 16, fine 18
Southland showers 14, cloudy 15, cloudy 16