A colder change is moving up the country and gets even colder today in the South Island and Sunday in the North Island.

Maximum temperatures across a large portion of the South Island, especially Canterbury, will be over 8 degrees below normal on Saturday.

Minimum temperatures for some more isolated locations well inland, like Tekapo, or even some parts of Northern Southland, will also be more than 8 degrees below normal and, incredibly, may even lead to some ice or light frosts. However ground temperatures should be too warm to allow a frost from settling even if the overnight lows get down to freezing for a time well inland.

If you’re in a tent, wrap up warm this weekend. Things start to warm back up again next week for most.

Low Boxing Day (Saturday) Highs:
Dunedin: A daytime high of 11 degrees in some suburbs
Invercargill: A high of 12 or 13
Oamaru & Timaru: A high of 12
Christchurch: A high of 12 to 14 degrees
Tekapo: 9 degrees
Wellington: 15 degrees
Masterton: A of high 16 today (but a high of only 12 or so on Sunday)

Low Lows overnight Saturday/Sunday morning:
Tekapo: +1C
Gore, Lumsden, Balfour: +2C
Te Anau, Twizel: +3C
Alexandra, Cromwell, Springfield, Motupiko: +4C
Invercargill, Queenstown, Darfield, Reefton, Wairau Valley: +5C
Taihape, Taumarunui: +6C
Palmerston North, Taupo, Rotorua, Hamilton: +8C