Dunedin residents braced for a snow-day may have been surprised at the lack of the white stuff this morning but they are still having to rug up as a cold front sweeps up the country.
The ''brutal'' cold air associated with the front could make the temperature feel like -5degC in some South Island areas, but less moisture in the air means any snow falls would be lighter than last week's.
The Dunedin City Council reported 'areas of isolated hill snow' this morning but forecast falls down to 100m have not materialised.
What snow fell during the night has largely disappeared although reader Shirley Walls reported it was snowing at Halfway Bush at 8.25am.
The only area of Otago that appears to have had a decent fall is Middlemarch where drivers are having to make their way carefully along snow-covered roads.
Elsewhere, roads in the region are all clear.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council is reporting windy, cold conditions and says CMA has been applied to the road at Arthurs Point and the Crown Range.
Danseys Pass remains open only to 4WD drive vehicles, as it has been for several days, after reopening following last week's snow.
Roading authorities are warning that temperatures in the district are expected to drop to freezing this morning, so motorists should beware of ice in shaded areas and on bridges.
WeatherWatch analyst Phillip Duncan said a southeasterly low was driving some sleet and snow to parts of Southland, Canterbury and Otago but there it wouldn't fall as heavily as it did last week.
The main factor was wind chill.
"The highs will be single digits in some areas - five degrees - which is not very warm. But the wind chill is a significant thing. In some exposed areas it's going to feel like it's minus 5C or colder."
Last week WeatherWatch received reports of "dozens" of cattle dying from the cold around Hokitika.
"It shows how brutal the cold air can be. It's very rare for cows to be killed by the cold so, from a farming point of view, just be aware of the wind chill factor."
It was estimated the wind chill had made it feel as cold as -15C in some exposed parts of the West Coast last week.
Wellington and Wairarapa were also being affected by the weather system today - to lesser extent than in the south, but it was still "not too flash" at the bottom of the North Island, Mr Duncan said.
Warmer winds were expected to raise temperatures next week, which was good news for farmers, but it would still be damp.
- Additional reporting APNZ
