It may have snowed in the Auckland CBD for the first time in 80 years and parts of central North Island, but with much of the country already blanketed in snow, more is expected from the polar blast today.
Today’s snowfall is likely to solidify overnight and cause treacherous driving conditions tomorrow, police say.
MetService said the cold conditions are expected to continue until Thursday, and significant snowfalls expected for many areas during that time.
Further snowfalls are expected in the southern and eastern parts of the South Island, and southern and central parts of the North Island.
The snowfalls should ease on Wednesday and were unlikely to continue down to sea level.
Snow fell in Auckland for the first time in more than 30 years as the country shuddered from a polar blast that brought joy to children and angst for motorists.
MetService said a band of active showers was likely to bring snow down to about 200 metres in Auckland tonight and it could affect some higher roads there.
Many state highways around New Zealand were closed, including the Desert Road and Rimutaka Hill road in the North Island and the Lewis Pass and Arthurs Pass in the South Island.
Police in the Wellington District are also warning drivers to make essential travel only tonight, as snowfalls make driving conditions extremely dangerous.
Inspector Ken Climo of the Police Central Communications Centre said a number of roads in and around the district are currently closed. These include the Rimutaka Hill Road, Paekakariki Hill Rd and Blue Mountains Rd, Upper Hutt.
"Traffic lights are out across the Hutt Valley and there are reports of power outages in Wainuiomata, however the Wainuiomata Hill Rd remains open."
Inspector Climo said State Highway 58 (Haywards Hill) is passable but extreme caution is needed and there are reports of snowfalls on State Highway Two (River Rd) and Stokes Valley, making driving conditions extremely dangerous.
The level of snow that fell in Wellington had not been seen since at least the 1970s, he said this morning. Heavy snow returned to Wellington this afternoon with strong flurries in the central city, while as much as 11cm was reported in Upper Hutt.
Wellington then endured bursts of lightning and thunder in the evening.
Snowflakes were falling in downtown Auckland this afternoon, a rarity for the city.
About 2000 homes in South Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu and Wairarapa were without power because high winds and snow caused trees and branches to tear down overhead lines, Powerco network operations manager Phil Marsh said.
About 1500 of the homes would have power restored by tonight. He warned it was likely there would be more power cuts tomorrow.
Several hundred homes in Christchurch remained without power.
– NZ Herald