• View photos of snow falling in Wanaka
The Traffic Road Information Event System sent out a notification at 5.30pm that SH 6 between Cromwell and Queenstown will be closed overnight from 6.30pm.
Between Wanaka and Cromwell SH6 has been closed to towing vehicles and motorists are also advised to have chains on board. SH 73 Arthurs Pass To Otira had the same warning issued at 3.50pm.
State Highway 6 between Haast and Makarora (Haast Pass) has been closed, as has the Lindis Pass (SH8).
A warning has been issued for SH 94 between Te Anau and Milford Sound, with motorists advised to carry chains.
SH 80 from Lake Pukaki to Mount Cook was closed at 5pm.
The MetService warned that on the Lewis Pass and Arthurs Pass, rain was expected to turn to snow tonight before easing to showers tomorrow morning. It added that two to three centimetres of snow could fall to 800 metres on Lewis Pass, and five to eight centimetres on Arthurs Pass down to 700 metres, in the six hours from midnight tonight.
On Porters Pass, snow was expected tonight with three to five centimetres expected down to 700 metres and light snow to 400 metres in the 12 hours from 2am tomorrow before easing tomorrow afternoon.
At Lindis Pass, up to eight centimetres of snow was expected to fall down to 400 metres in the 15 hours from midnight tonight, easing tomorrow afternoon.
On Milford Road, rain was expected to turn to snow tonight with five to eight centimetres of snow expected to 700 metres tonight and two to three centimetres down to 500 metres tomorrow.
Snow fell on Wanaka for several hours this afternoon prompting Wanaka Primary School and Mount Aspiring College to release its bus pupils and those with cars at about 2pm.
Radio Wanaka was was asked by Montessori Childrens House to broadcast an announcement requesting parents to come and pick up their children at 2.30pm.
Tourists, skiers and locals seemed delighted by the spectacle of snow in town when the Otago Daily Times took a wander around.
People stopped to take snapshots in the street and those planning to head up the skifields tomorrow looked forward to bumper conditions tomorrow.
