South gets smattering of spring snow

Snow was continuing to fall in parts of the South, including Dunedin, late this morning after the region woke to freezing temperatures.

At 11.35 there was snow in central Dunedin, while flurries had been occurring intermittently throughout Otago and Southland.

Little was settling, however, and MetService this morning cancelled all its weather watches for the lower South Island. There remained a road snow warning for the Lewis Pass.

A snowy outlook from the top of Flagstaff in Dunedin. Photo: Gerard O'Brien

State Highway 87 Middlemarch to Outram was closed all morning owing to snow but has now reopened. All other southern highways are open.

Check southern highways here

Meteorologist John Law told Morning Report there was snow in parts of Southland and Otago, including Queenstown and the hills of Dunedin, down to 100 or 200 metres in some areas.

"It is going to be a cold feeling day for pretty much everyone across the South Island."

Jennifer Macleod and cavoodle Poppy enjoy the wintry view from the summit of Flagstaff on the Pineapple Track. Photo: Gerard O'Brien

Temperatures fell to near freezing in some areas, including Tekapo, while Gore was below 1C on Thursday night, Law said.

Law said the cold weather could linger, but should clear up by early next week.

"I think we will find the temperatures start to pick up," he said.

"It's going to be a cool weekend but the good news is that I think we'll find the risk of snowfall starts to clear away."

Snow had been expected to near sea level in Southland, Clutha, Dunedin, Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes, MetService said.

Snow in Halfway Bush, Dunedin, on Friday morning. Photo: Gerard O'Brien

The forecaster issued road snowfall warnings for the South Island alpine passes, the Milford Road and Dunedin to Waitati Highway (SH1).

State Highway 94 was closed overnight between East Gate (Hollyford) and Donne River (Westgate) due to forecast snow, but has reopened today.

'Bitterly cold outside and snowing heavily once again'

A farmer in Southland, Blair Drysdale, told Morning Report it was "bitterly cold outside and snowing heavily once again".

An inch (2.5cm) of snow had fallen and was starting to get quite heavy at about 7.30am, he said.

"Not ideal for this time of the year" but not unusual, he said.

"I was born on the 22 December and it was a white Christmas the same year apparently so it can happen pretty much any month of the year in Southland."

His wife in Stewart Island told him this morning there had been snow showers there too.