By head weather analyst Philip Duncan

Yesterday I was interviewed by Larry Williams on NewstalkZB about the upcoming “winter blast”.  I laughed and said “I’d hardly call it a blast – in fact it’s so low on my news radar I’ve hardly given it much thought”.   I’m glad I said that as this morning the “worst” of the weather barely brushed the east coast of Canterbury and Otago.

Weather analyst Richard Green called me this morning to say it was mostly sunny and was already 11 degrees where he was in Canterbury.   I have no idea why some thought it was going to bring snow along the east coast – i guess a few very light snow flurries high up were possible but really this never was going to be a snow event.   It wasn’t even a news story yesterday.  It’s more of a news story today now that nothing has really happened!

I believe a few flakes fell on the Dunedin hills – but nothing significant.

However it IS colder today – most places, including the Far North – are feeling a definite chill in the air.  It’s just 4 in Invercargill, 3 in Queenstown, 0 in Manapouri, 4 in Dunedin and 7 in Taupo.   It’s 8 in Rotorua and Auckland has 13 and it’s 11 and 12 around the Far North and Northland. 

The cold southerly will ease over the South Island today but strengthen over the North Island tonight and tomorrow.  The next few days will certainly be colder – and the nights colder still – but with sunny skies for most I think the weather over the next few days will be what most people consider as “perfect spring weather”.