Snowfall arrived in parts of the south overnight with Tuesday set to be New Zealand's coldest day of the week.
Forecasters say southwest winds are to blame with temperatures in some parts of the south plummeting as low as 1C overnight.
Road snow warnings were in place for the South Island's Crown Range - which was seen blanketed in snow on Tuesday morning.
"Cold showery weather is on the cards for the rest of today and tomorrow as this southwest flow covers Aotearoa," MetService said on Monday.
"If you’re lucky enough to be sheltered from this direction it’ll be blue skies and a bit chilly at your place, but parts of Aotearoa without hills to the southwest are in line for showers.
"Wairarapa and Central Hawkes bay, as well as the coastal parts of Otago can expect strong and gusty winds over the next couple of days.
"Our severe weather team has issued road snow warnings, and snow is expected for higher alpine passes in the South Island."
WeatherWatch says Tuesday will be New Zealand's "coldest day of the week".
"Snow is falling in the mountains - and most regions from Waikato southwards are a few to several degrees below average," the forecaster said on Twitter.
Further north, wind gusts will remain elevated for much of Tuesday, NIWA says.
