A second day of disruption is being felt across parts of the South Island, in the aftermath of yesterday's snowy weather.
Black ice has plagued motorists this morning, prompting warnings from the police to stay at home where possible. The Canterbury area has been hit the hardest.
Dunedin and Queenstown airports are open and operating but some flights in and out of both have been cancelled. More information here and here.
The DCC website says all roads are open in Dunedin, and motorists are advised to take care, while Queenstown Lakes District Council has reported small amounts of frozen snow on the Crown Range, and ice on Arthurs Point and Glenorchy roads and the Lindis Pass.
Power is still out for about 1700 customers around Canterbury this morning, with pockets of outages in the Harewood, Brooklands, Weedons, Kimberley, Hororata, Annat, Duvauchelle and Castle Hill areas.
Orion chief executive Rob Jamieson said repair crews have been working to restore power from first light.
"The weather is clearer and we expect to make good progress today,'' Mr Jamieson said.
"Almost all of the power cuts have been caused by trees and branches weighed down by snow, falling on power lines. These cuts highlight how important it is to keep trees trimmed and well away from overhead lines.''
Mainpower reported about 600 properties in North Canterbury, including Hanmer, Rangiora and inland Kaikoura, lost power overnight.
Fortunately the snow showers cleared for the South Island overnight, MetService forecaster Leigh Matheson said.
"It was really only the areas north of Christchurch and up into the Marlborough mountains that were getting snow yesterday evening,'' Ms Matheson said.
Inspector Pete Hegarty said grit trucks have been working in central Christchurch throughout the night, but the whole region is slippery and he urged those who do not need to travel to stay at home.
Christchurch Airport remains open, however there are warnings of disruptions to flights due to ice and freezing temperatures. The mercury dropped to -5.3degC at the airport early this morning.
Passengers were recommended to check with their airline before heading to the airport.
Some bus services in Christchurch are set to resume this afternoon after buses were off the roads this morning.
The snow has also forced the closure of schools, university and council offices, and the cancellation of club meetings across Canterbury.
Canterbury University is to remain closed all day, while Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology is planning on opening all campuses at midday.
New Zealand Post shops will be open in Christchurch today; however, deliveries in the city remain suspended. Delays are expected for mail deliveries in Ashburton, Nelson and Blenheim, while Greymouth services are back to normal.
Plunket has suspended all services in Canterbury and Mid Canterbury regions again today due to the road conditions.
Fallen trees and heavy snow has blocked roads across the South Island.
State Highway 65 from Maruia to Shenandoah, SH63 from St Arnaud to the Wairua Valley, SH7 from Springs Junction to Reefton, SH7 Lewis Pass, SH73 from Arthur's Pass to Otira, SH73 Porters Pass, and SH7 from Springs Junction to Reefton are closed this morning.
Parts of the main hill roads in Christchurch will also be assessed first thing this morning.
Crews have been out overnight clearing any remaining snow and gritting ice.
NZTA spokesman Barry Stratton said they will be working as quickly as possible to get the roads operational again.
"We'll be assessing first thing in the morning and the likelihood of the passes opening early are small. It's probably going to mid-morning to late-morning before we can see any movement.''
Fire Service southern communications shift manager Brent Dunn said crews had several weather-related callouts overnight, mainly for trees falling on powerlines.
Meanwhile, police report Akatarawa Road outside Staglands Wildlife Reserve, north of Upper Hutt, has been blocked due to a number of trees coming down. Contractors are on their way to clear the road, however it is not known how long it will take.
