MetService meteorologist Angus Hines said snow had fallen as low as 200m in Fiordland early yesterday, which was "pretty low for this time of year".
A Fiordland resident had contacted MetService staff to let them know there was 10cm-15cm of snow at 900m altitude.
While the MetService had not picked up temperatures for the area on its sensors, it was "entirely possible" numbers had gone into the negatives, Mr Hines said.
"A light dusting" was expected last night in higher areas 600m and above.
Te Anau had 26mm of rainfall early yesterday and a minimum of 3degC about 6am, Lumsden reached a low of 1.4degC, and Tuatapere had a "pretty decent dose" of rain, recording 34mm.
There had been no further rainfall since about 9am in any of those three towns, and weather had cleared later in the day.
However, more wet weather was forecast last night.
In Central Otago, snow was also reported across Maniototo, at Wedderburn, Oturehua, and St Bathans.
Central Otago district councillor Stu Duncan, who farms at Wedderburn, said the cold snap came as a surprise.
He had planned to make hay on Thursday but at 30degC-plus it was too hot.
His hay-making plans were halted again yesterday, after snow started falling.
By 10.30am, the temperature was 4.7degC and the north Rough Ridge hill range was white, he said.
"They forecast 3mm of rain, but I didn’t expect snow."
At the landmark Vulcan Hotel in St Bathans, manager Wanda Grant said the snow was on par with what the tiny settlement could expect in winter but yesterday’s fall was shortlived and conditions had returned to near normal by noon.
"The sun is shining now and it’s [snow] melting fairly quickly."
