Forecasters warn there is more heavy weather to come after snow closed schools in Queenstown and left trucks stranded on the main highway south of Alexandra this morning.
WeatherWatch said the storm was now peaking over the country but some places should brace for another rough 48 hours.
"Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are probably the peak days of this storm with heavy snow in the south, gales in the east and north and hail, thunder and squalls in the west and north west," said WeatherWatch head analyst Philip Duncan.
The South would continue to be hammered on Thursday and Friday as the weather eased elsewhere in the country, he said. The West Coast of the South Island has had violent squalls and thunderstorms this morning.
Metservice has issued severe weather warnings for Taranaki, Taumaranui, Taihape, Wanganui, Manawatu, Wellington, Otago, Nelson, Buller and Westland.
This morning's snow caused chaos in Queenstown, with blizzard conditions forcing the closure of schools and roads and motorists advised to carry chains.
Snow began falling about 5am and settling on the ground in the resort and surrounding areas, with poor visibility and icy conditions prompting the closure of all schools, with the exception of Arrowtown which opened at 10am.
In Queenstown Stanley St, from Coronation Dr to Ballarat St, was closed by police with snow and ice causing havoc, while residents were snowed in at Arthurs Point.
Both Coronet Peak and The Remarkables ski areas are closed, as is the Crown Range road. The Lindis Pass was closed but has now reopened although chains are required.
Snow has stopped falling in Queenstown, but flurries are expected to continue throughout the day.
Queenstown Airport is functioning nomally after one flight was delayed this morning.
Heavy snow between Alexandra and Roxburgh stranded trucks and closed State Highway 8 this morning. Traffic was diverted along SH85, the Pigroot.
The snow has now stopped and police said the road was re-opened and the trucks moved about 11.45am. However, several cars had been abandoned between Shingle and Gorge creeks.
Speargrass Inn manager Rebecca Cowley, of Fruitlands, said the snow started late last night and became "really heavy" about 8am. She estimated about 12cms of snow fell at Fruitlands, 13km southwest of Alexandra.
She said they had seen a snow plough go up and down the road outside the inn which had pushed up banks of snow over a metre high along the sides of the road.
