There's been a spring snow surprise for parts of Canterbury and Otago.
The short-lived event was caused by a combination of warm and cold air meeting.
This snow may be late but for some, it was well worth the wait.
"It's really lucky enough to have the chance to watch the snow like this," one person told Newshub.
Graders were at the ready in Porters Pass while others were left out in the cold.
"I wasn't quite expecting this, how am I looking," one person said.
"It's absolutely fabulous but I just still need to get over to the West Coast but isn't it gorgeous? We live in a spectacular island, it's magical," another person said.
"It's only my second time ever seeing snow in my whole life I think it's amazing, I love it so much," said a third.
It wasn't quite as much as forecast but there was enough to play with snowballs and build snowmen.
There may be snow here right now, but it's not because of the polar temperatures we usually see in winter, instead a combination of two air masses meeting - warm moist air from the north overrunning cold air from the south - causing classic spring snow.
Further south, Cardrona received about 15cm, but it's a little too late, ski fields are already closed for the season.
"It's always inevitable we always get the big snowfall after we've closed," NZSki chief executive Paul Anderson said. "The farmers we really feel for at this time of the year because they've got new lambs on the pasture."
But with temperatures now expected to only go one way, it might just be the last dump of 2023.
