Niwa climate scientist Nava Fedaeff said winter started on a chilly note on June 1, when snow fell across much of the South Island.
''The wintry start was, however, not indicative of the season as a whole, with snow events infrequent throughout the season,'' she said.
The winter climate pattern was influenced by a polar jet stream that remained south of New Zealand during June, was weaker than normal in July, but occasionally passed over the country during August, while interacting with the sub-tropical jet stream.
This created some of the warmest winter average temperatures recorded in Otago and Southland.
Manapouri (West Arm Jetty) experienced its warmest winter since records began in 1971, and Ranfurly, Oamaru, Dunedin (Musselburgh), Five Rivers and Alexandra had their second-warmest winters on record.
On July 3-4, several high daily maximum temperature records were broken as a mild air flow from the sub-tropics brought warm weather to the region, she said.
''Notably, Dunedin [Musselburgh] observed 20.3degC on July 3, which is the warmest July temperature since records began there in 1947.
''On the same day, a new July maximum temperature record of 17.6degC was set in Ranfurly, with records dating back all the way to 1897.''
Winter rainfall and soil moisture was largely near normal across the country, but pockets of Otago recorded below-normal rainfall, and soils were drier than normal for isolated parts of inland north Otago, she said.
Despite the dry conditions, Oamaru recorded its second-heaviest one-day rainfall on August 10, when 78mm fell during 24 hours. It caused flooding that closed State Highway 1 between Oamaru and Timaru.
The nationwide average winter temperature was 9degC - 0.6degC warmer than the 1981-2010 winter average - making it the seventh-warmest on record for New Zealand.
