Very cold conditions will continue today as winds from the Antarctic continue to whip through Dunedin.
Snow on the hills, sleety showers and frigid winds meant the temperature felt like 0degC or lower yesterday, although the official city high was 5.9degC.
MetService meteorologist Elke Louw said yesterday snow showers down to about 200m were expected last night and would continue today.
Along with high winds, the snow was likely to disrupt travel on Dunedin's northern motorway this morning, she said.
Temperatures were predicted to stay in single figures and remain sub-zero in exposed places in the city today.
Inland, occasional snow showers were expected with similarly low temperatures.
Snow and ice continued to affect State Highway 94, Mossburn to Te Anau, and State Highway 6, Kingston to Lumsden, late yesterday.
The special weather advisory issued on Sunday was upgraded to a severe weather watch yesterday as the MetService predicted the Antarctic southerly flow would remain in place for the rest of the week.
Significant snowfalls of 10cm to 15cm above about 300m over southern Fiordland, Southland and Otago and lesser amounts down to near sea level, were expected, the warning said.
''This snow is also likely to be accompanied by strong south-erly winds about the hills which could produce blizzard-like conditions and deeper snow drifts in some places.''
The snow level should rise to 800m by tonight.
Ms Louw said the weather was expected to improve on Thursday, with clear skies and frost expected, but another southerly front was predicted to hit by the weekend.
''Winter has finally arrived.''
