There's no clear weather forecast for Christmas Day just over a week out from the major summer holiday.
WeatherWatch's head forecaster Philip Duncan said on Wednesday that the service is being asked "a lot" about what the weather will be on December 25.
"Now you're going to be probably a little frustrated at this one because there's no clear, obvious forecast," he said. "We're stuck between systems."
In a video, Duncan shows there is a large high expected off the east of New Zealand over the Pacific Ocean as well as another high west of Aotearoa near Tasmania.
If the high out west moves toward New Zealand slightly earlier, Duncan picks it will be a "beautiful" day for Kiwis on Christmas.
"If it lingers out in the Tasman, which the modelling is suggesting, then there could be a wintry, yup wintry, southerly coming in for Southland and Otago on Christmas Day."
He stressed that the forecast is not locked in, with a lot able to change in the coming week, but it is the same modelling that picked tropical cyclone Ruby's path 14 days out.
While the South Island would see a south-westerly flow, the North Island would be "stuck between" a tropical system and two highs, "completely in that sort of no man's land, which means there could be a bit of wiggle room between now and Christmas".
"It doesn't look as though there's a washout across the country. It looks like a lot of dry areas but potentially the South Island has got a chance of some wet weather so we'll keep you posted."
