MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris urged southern residents to make the most of the still weather, because cold southerlies were expected to hit the regions on Thursday morning, bringing rain which could turn to snow over much of Otago and inland Canterbury during the day.
While it might affect high roads in those regions, it was not expected to last long, Mr Ferris said.
Fortunately, or unfortunately — depending on how you feel about snow — it was unlikely to affect Dunedin, he said.
As for the skifields, the news was ‘‘not good’’.
‘‘It’s not quite the type of snow to get overly excited by, because it is cold-air snow.
‘‘Yes, the skifields will probably get some, but unfortunately, it’s not going to make a meaningful difference.’’
He said temperatures would plummet to -1˚C in some Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes areas from tomorrow and most daytime highs would only reach single-digits.
As a result, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has warned snow may develop at elevations above 600m, with potential for up to 5cm accumulating on parts of State Highway 8 in Central Otago and the Mackenzie Basin, and SH80 up to Aoraki/Mt Cook by late tomorrow.
Lesser snowfalls are expected into Thursday.
An NZTA spokesman also warned of ice and freezing fog which would affect roads in central parts of the South Island for the next few days.
He said temperatures down to 5˚C or lower would bring significant frosts, meaning icy surfaces for SH8 and SH80, and may persist through tomorrow.
NZTA contractors will be laying grit or anti-icing agents to help keep people safe on icy highways.
He urged drivers to reduce speeds, increase their following distances and avoid sudden braking or turning movements on icy roads.
‘‘Ice is more likely to form in places such as bridges and shaded areas, and black ice [a transparent layer of ice that freezes over the road] can be harder to spot.
‘‘Staying as visible as possible, with headlights on in foggy conditions, also helps to keep people safe.’’
He said road users should be prepared for road closures or restrictions if snow accumulated to significant enough levels on the highways.
Depending on how much moisture was left over, the weather was likely to improve on Friday and Saturday over much of Otago and Southland, Mr Ferris said.
