Wellingtonians are waking up on Tuesday morning to the rare sight of snow falling as the capital gets a winter blast.
Metservice confirmed to Newshub there was snowfall across the Wellington region, mainly in Upper Hutt, Transmission Gully and even light snowfall in the CBD.
Videos on social media show snow falling in the Wellington suburb of Brooklyn just before 5am.
A commutator driving on Transmission Gully at 3:30am posted a video showing a flurry of snow falling.
Reporter Mitch Redman told AM snow was falling fairly heavily in Christchurch at around 7am on Tuesday.
"We are out in western Christchurch in Templeton and it's certainly started to slow down for the moment being," he said.
"We are hearing reports that snow is quite heavy out in the north Canterbury way towards the Pegasus township and also further up the Port Hills. Obviously, the snow has now stopped at sea level but up at higher altitudes, it's still falling."
It comes as Kiwis face a nightmare day of travel as a dusting of spring snow settles on some of New Zealand's major State Highways.
The Desert Rd between Rangipo and Waiouruand and the Napier-Taupo Rd are both closed because of snow, with detours in place.
Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency urges Kiwis to plan their journey and allow extra time for travel.
Commuters in Auckland are also being warned about disruption with Auckland Transport announcing several Gulf Harbour ferry services have been cancelled on Tuesday morning.
Further south, SH4 between Whanganui and Kakatahi near Ohakune and SH59 (the old SH1) between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki is closed because of a slip with a detour in place.
Police said work is being done to clear SH4, but motorists are warned they may experience delays travelling on this section of road.
In the South Island, snow began settling in the Otago region just after 8pm on Monday which caught motorists by surprise, with police receiving several reports of crashes.
On Tuesday morning, delays are expected on the roads - with SH1 between Dunedin and Waitati closed and with no detours available.
NZTA is urging motorists right across the country to drive with care, with icy conditions likely.
The road closures come as parts of the North Island remain under weather warnings and watches. An orange heavy rain warning remains in place for the ranges of Gisborne, with a further 60mm of rain expected.
MetService warns heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly, surface flooding and slips are also possible, while driving conditions may be hazardous.
A heavy snow warning is in place for the ranges of Gisborne, the higher parts of Hawke's Bay, southern Taupo and Taihape, with 20cm of snow expected to fall.
MetService warns heavy snow could disrupt travel in affected areas and could damage trees and powerlines, while cold conditions could cause stress for livestock.
A strong wind warning is in place for Taranaki, with severe gale-force winds gusting up to 120km/h expected in exposed areas.
MetService said the strong wind gusts could damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures while driving may be hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.
A road snowfall warning is in place for the Napier-Taupo Road (SH5), Desert Road (SH1), Remutaka Hill Road (SH2), Lewis Pass (SH7), Porters Pass (SH73) and Dunedin to Waitati Highway (SH1). Napier-Taupo Road is expected to see 12cm of snow while Desert Rd should see 15cm of snow.
