Police this morning urged Dunedin motorists not to drive in the city's hill suburbs unless absolutely necessary.
A police spokeswoman said there was widespread black ice and extreme caution was advised.
The Dunedin City Council website advises that Blueskin Rd, Mt Cargill Rd and George King Memorial Dr are closed because of ice.
State Highway 85 from Palmerston to Kyeburn and SH87 from Mosgiel to Kyeburn were closed for a time because of snow and ice, but both have now reopened.
Drivers are urged to care on many roads around the region as wintry conditions persist.
- Check highway conditions here
"The coldest temperature for August is -7.8degC and I can tell you they will be in the neighbourhood of that number," he said.
The coldest temperature recorded in the resort was -12.2degC in 1995, while New Zealand’s coldest temperature was -25.6degC, recorded in Ranfurly in July 1903.
All junior rugby and football in Dunedin today, except for under 11 and under 12 junior rugby semifinals, has been cancelled.
Ms Murray said because of the likelihood of black ice, motorists should "take your time driving and bear in mind you can’t see it — be careful."
The good news was the worst of the snow had passed.
"Showers become really isolated [this] morning and they clear [in the] afternoon. Once these showers clear it won’t be too bad for Dunedin and inland Otago."
A police spokeswoman said police were pleased with motorists’ driving yesterday and only a handful of minor crashes were reported across the Southern district.
The most notable incident was a horse float which rolled on State Highway 1 near Moeraki.
One of the two racehorses in the float had to be put down but there were no reports of any other injury.
In other incidents, police were called to minor crashes near Bluff and a report of a car hitting a parked car after sliding in snow in Brockville Rd, in Dunedin.
Motorists were generally keeping good following distances and reducing their speed due to the obvious weather conditions, the spokeswoman said.
"Police would encourage motorists to drive with the same care right through the weekend, as the forecast is for more of the same."
Dunedin City Council acting group transport manager Richard Saunders said contractors inspected and gritted roads in the city on a priority basis throughout the night and yesterday morning.
Contractors’ main priority was the major traffic routes, bus routes "and getting people down safely off the hill suburbs".
— Additional reporting John Lewis and The New Zealand Herald
