Maniototo residents report up to 40cm of snow in Kyeburn, 20cm at Patearoa and St Bathans and up to 50cm at Dansey Pass.
Senior Constable Steve Burke, of Ranfurly, said there was about 25cm of snow on the ground in Ranfurly and all roads were closed in the area.
The weight of heavy snow on house roofs might soon become a problem, he said.
Roads throughout the Maniototo and the Ida Valley are closed.
Snow in Alexandra, Cromwell and Roxburgh was thawing this morning, helped along in some areas by rain showers.
Many schools in Central Otago were closed for the second successive day - including primary schools in Clyde, Alexandra, Oamaku, Poolburn and in the Maniototo. Schools in Roxburgh and Millers Flat are open.
The highways in the district were open, with the exception of sections of State Highway 85.
There were no mail deliveries in most of the district, for the second successive day.
Meanwhile, it might be black coffee for people in remoter parts of Southland for the next day or two, as milk trucks struggle to get through snow-covered roads.
Bread, fresh fruit and vegetables may also be in short supply in towns like Te Anau as police warn people to drive only if they absolutely need to on roads made dangerous by some of the heaviest snowfalls for years.
Police reported several groups of tourists were stranded in the town.
Several buses were unable to get out of Te Anau because of the snow and the main road north to Queenstown was closed, said Senior Constable Peter Gear of Lumsden police.
Some of the tourists could miss their deadlines to catch connecting flights out of New Zealand.
A high pressure weather system due to arrive in the next day or two would bring clear but cold nights and that could lead to the formation of dangerous black ice on country roads, he said.
"Black ice you can't see and you hit it and you're gone," said Mr Gear who has been stationed in Lumsden since 1987.
"Just because the road is clear it doesn't mean you can drive at the speed limit. It is just a matter of being really, really cautious."
Mr Gear said people should stay at home and stay off the roads unless they really needed to go out. If travel was necessary people should put chains on their vehicles.
Sue Jones from Te Anau police said it was very cold and a lot of snow was lying on the ground.
"It's like living in an igloo," she told NZPA.
