The South has once again woken to freezing temperatures and warnings of icy conditions on the roads.
The Central Otago District Council said temperatures in the region ranged from -2degC to -6degC early this morning.
Combined with wet roads and freezing fog in places this meant there was a high risk of ice and caution was advised on the roads, especially on hills, bridge decks and shaded spots.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) was also warning drivers to be careful, with fog added to the risk of ice in places.
"Jack Frost has been nipping noses all over the place this morning and there's a high chance of ice on the roads. Grit has been applied in Queenstown Hill, Fernhill, Crown Range, Lindis Pass, Kawarau Gorge, Arrow Junction and the Devils Staircase.
"Yours truly was stuck in stationary traffic on the Crown Range Road for half an hour or so yesterday evening after it looked like a car had skidded and become stuck in the ditch.
"Grit happens," the writer of the morning QLDC update said.
NZTA had road warnings in place for the SH6 in the Kawarau Gorge and from Frankton to Kingston and for SH 87 from Outram to Middlemarch.
At 8.30am Queenstown was sitting at -3.4degC.
Other parts of the country also dropped well below zero - cold enough to cancel trains in Wellington.
Yesterday was the Southern Hemisphere winter solstice, the day with the shortest period of sunlight and longest night of the year.
Parts of the South Island dropped to -6degC overnight, and the central North Island shivered around 0degC and the early negatives. Even Auckland dropped into the low single figures overnight and temperatures ranging from 4degC to 5degC.
The coldest temperatures were recorded at Mt Cook Village and Lake Pukaki Airport in the central South Island which both hit -6degC, MetService meteorologist Micky Malivuk said.
Christchurch was the coldest of the main centres at -4degC.
And in Wellington, ice on the overhead lines is causing train delays and cancellations and temperatures plummeted to -3degC in Upper Hutt at 6.20am, and -2degC on the Kapiti Coast.
Metservice meteorologist Melissa Oosterwijk said the freezing temperatures are thanks to the clear skies.
She said cloud has been hanging over the region for most of the month keeping the warmer air in, but today the cloud has lifted allowing the ground to cool and dew to turn to frost.
Yesterday's heavy rain in the Far North has eased this morning to light showers, and should fully clear later today, Malivuk said.
Parts of Northland and the Far North received a drenching over the past two days, some areas recording well above the monthly average in just 48 hours.
Whangārei recorded 176mm, well above the June average of 126mm.
The rest of the country was in for a relatively fine day today, as a ridge of high pressure extended across both main islands.
"There will be some cold temperatures and frosts in places at first, but most areas should warm up to blue skies and nice day," Malivuk said.
"Some other areas will be waking up to a bit of low cloud and fog, but that should burn off this morning for a fine day too."
Cool temperatures were also forecast for tomorrow, preceding a front scheduled to arrive in the South Island during the morning.
Showers were forecast from the front across the West Coast, spreading up the North Island during the afternoon, bringing showers to most western areas.
On Sunday another front was expected to move east onto the west of the South Island.
Heavy rain was forecast about Fiordland and Westland.
Following closely behind the front would be a cold air mass, with embedded troughs, bringing frequent showers to southern and western areas.
Snow was expected to low levels in Southland and parts of Otago.
NZME and ODT
