The polar blast that hit the South this morning looks set to stay for the rest of the week. The conditions meant delayed starts for schools, warnings for motorists and may have led to a car going into Otago Harbour.
The car went into the water at Deborah Bay about 9.45am today, but police could not confirm whether an icy road was to blame. The driver was the sole occupant of the car and was able to get out before it became submerged.
Southern District communications manager Nicholas Barkley said a passerby stayed with the driver until police arrived.
Police were notified about two other traffic incidents this morning, one an abandoned car in Mosgiel and the other a two-car collision on the corner of Portsmouth Dr and Strathallan St. No one was injured in the collision.
The ice and snow led to a 10am start for all DKA kindergartens, primary and intermediate schools in the city, and for several high schools as well. Three schools - Halfway Bush, East Otago High and Flag Swamp Primary - are closed for the day.
Severe weather watch
A severe weather watch has been issued by the MetService with snow expected to fall as low as 100m in South Island regions today.
MetService meteorologist Stephen Glassey said while a ridge of high pressure moving in from the west will clear the showers and bring clear skies, temperatures would stay extremely low.
Most areas would wake tomorrow to "severe" frosts and black ice, making driving conditions hazardous in some areas, especially roads that are already wet from recent rain or snow.
A dusting of light snow settled on the Port Hills above Christchurch this morning, as temperatures struggled to reach above 6C.
Inland Canterbury and Central Otago are likely to drop to -5C overnight. The worst-hit areas are likely to be Alexandra, Cromwell and Clyde which cold drop as low as -8C, Mr Glassey said.
Single digit temperatures are forecast for most southern areas this week. On Friday, another southerly change is expected to move over the South Island bringing more showers and low temperatures.
Roads
In Dunedin, the Northern Motorway has reopened after a brief closure, while Three Mile Hill road remains closed today.
Further afield, the New Zealand Transport Agency advises that conditions are improving but cautions remain in place on some stretches of southern highways.
- Check highway conditions here
State Highway 94 Te Anau-Milford is closed from Hollyford and Chasm, but was scheduled to reopen around 1.30pm.
Caution is urged on: SH8 the Lindis Pass, SH6 Lumsden-Castlerock, SH94 Mossburn-Te Anau and Riversdale-Mandeville, SH83 Kurow-Omarama, SH87 Middlemarch-Outram.
Many roads around Queenstown are affected by ice and snow. Chains are essential on Crown Range and there are ice warnings on Glenorchy Rd and on most hill roads.
Snow and freezing conditions are widespread across Central Otago - Dansey's Pass Road remains closed and extreme caution is urged in many places.
Buses
The Otago Regional Council advises that as at 11.30am:
Helensburgh services have returned to their normal route. The Ross Creek service will run via Tanner St. It cannot currently travel on Glenholm and Glenmore Streets.
The Opoho service will travel from hhe Gardens until road conditions improve. Buses are not expected to travel on Signal Hill Road before mid-late afternoon. The Dalmore service remains suspended.
All other services are operating normally.
School bus services
The Sandymount Road school service is cancelled.
All other school bus services are running normally.
Flights
Flights are on hold at at Queenstown Airport because of ice, and there have been come cancellations. Check flights here
Earlier report
The shortest day of the year has passed, but those hoping for an immediate improvement in the weather are advised not to look outside.
While much of the South shivered through a cold and sometimes snowy weekend, a ''very cold'' polar outbreak is expected to bring more snow to low levels in parts of Otago and Southland early this morning.
Snowstorms that plastered the south on Friday night caused a routine patient transfer to end with a helicopter landing in a Millers Flat field.
The helicopter transfer, operated by Heliworks for the Lakes District Air Rescue Trust, left Queenstown's Lakes District Hospital at 7.45pm bound for Southland Hospital in Invercargill.
But 15 minutes after take off, the helicopter hit a snowstorm ''cell'' near Kingston, Heliworks general manager Richard Mills said. The pilot turned back, but then decided to land after another snowstorm blew across the helicopter's path at Beaumont.
Mr Mills said the pilot liaised with St John ambulance staff, was told to land at a sports field in Millers Flat and touching down just after 9pm.
An ambulance from Cromwell arrived within minutes to transfer the patient to Dunedin Hospital, he said.
A 40-year-old Alexandra man also found himself ''waylaid'' in snow while running on Ben Lomond on Friday.
The man was flown by helicopter to Lakes District Hospital with minor injuries on Friday night, after being found in ''waist deep snow'' on the mountain about 5pm, several hours after he was due out, Sgt Newell said.
