Keep the extra blankets and bed socks close at hand - cold nights are predicted for Whanganui this week.
Wintry weather made its presence felt yesterday with a day of chilly rain to mark the passing of Saturday's winter solstice.
Daytime temperatures struggled to climb into double-digits yesterday, reaching a high of 11degrees C in the afternoon, but today there's a predicted shift to fine, bright days with highs around 14C for the week ahead and the rain drying up.
It's the nights and early mornings that will remind us we're into the midst of winter, with lows of just 2C forecast from tomorrow through until Friday, and frosts predicted for inland and southerly areas.
That's well below Whanganui's average minimum temperature for June-July which sits at 6C.
MetService says cold overnight temperatures will be prevalent across the country for the week ahead, especially in inland areas. Low cloud, mist and fogs are possible in sheltered valleys and basins.
During the working week ahead a broad ridge of high pressure is forecast to push eastwards from the Tasman Sea across...
MetService spokesman Stephan Gallassey said the cool change was normal for this time of year, but "with winds about to turn to a southeasterly, it will turn colder".
The freezing air which will flow over New Zealand this week is being pushed ahead of an enormous high pressure system which has built up to the west of Tasmania.
The high, expected to reach New Zealand a week from now, is surrounded by an anticyclonic wind flow which will pull cool Antarctic air up and over New Zealand as it approaches.
The wintry chill arrived right on time for the winter solstice.
Saturday marked the shortest day - and longest night - of the year. Daylight hours on Saturday totalled just 9.1 in Wellington, with Invercargill receiving just 8.5 hours of daylight.
That's around seven hours of daylight less than we receive during the summer solstice in December.
Whanganui had its first major frosts of the year on Wednesday and Thursday last week, when the temperature dropped to 2C over both nights.
It was even colder in Taihape, with temperatures -3C on June 18, -4C on June 19 and -3C again on June 20. Hāwera was also colder, with temperatures 2C, 0C and 2C across three nights.
Happy Valley, in the Whakapapa Ski Area, Mt Ruapehu, has been operating since early June. Photo / Supplied
And while we're seeing a period of cold air, Niwa says a lack of moisture over the next several weeks means the chill is unlikely to translate into much snowfall. The trend of below-normal snowfall is likely to continue into July.
Mt Ruapehu skifields are currently expecting to open next weekend, a spokesperson said, which pushes back the Whakapapa date from the planned June 22, and is in line with Turoa's planned date of June 28.
Happy Valley has been operating throughout June.
Tips for comfort on cold nights
•Sleep wearing natural fibres such as wool, cotton or silk - they'll keep you warmer than synthetic materials. •A little evening exercise will help to fire up your circulation and keep you warm. •Take a warm bath or shower and a hot drink just before you go to bed. •Use a good old hot water bottle or electric blanket to take the chill off the bed, and try a wool underlay or warm woollen blankets as insulation below you, plus several layers of bedding above you. Layering traps extra air which warms up and helps keep you insulated. •If you can, let any available sunshine into your house during the day, but close the curtains and begin to crank up the heating before the rooms chill off at sunset. Keeping the warmth in a room is much easier and more efficient than heating a room up once it's become cold.
