The first of two cold snaps has arrived in the lower South Island and is quickly heading north with snow flurries, hail showers and a biting wind chill below zero.

@DeepSouthWx on Twitter says the temperature in Invercargill right now is 5.2 degrees with westerlies.  See their live weather station here.

Meanwhile via our Facebook Page Peter Murray says the cold change has moved through Queenstown.  “Temp has dropped to 7 and the snow is lowering on the mountains, raining here”.

Satellite imagery at WeatherWatch.co.nz shows the front racing up the South Island and will move through Canterbury this evening and into the North Island overnight.

On Tuesday an even colder change is expected to arrive.  The wind flow won’t be coming off the Antarctic ice shelf but it will be coming from deep over the Southern Ocean and a biting wind chill is on the way.

Farmers in Southland, Otago and Canterbury are advised to be prepared for cold weather over the next four or five days.

WeatherWatch.co.nz predicts the cold change on Tuesday will see parts of Southland and Otago failing to reach double digits with main centres only just scraping 10 degrees.

The southerly change will be accompanied by hail and gale force winds – with the cold air reaching the North Island by the end of the day on Tuesday.

Current Snow Warning for Sunday – Metservice

Heavy Snow Warning, Areas Affected: Hill country of eastern Southlandand also Clutha, especially the Catlins Snow is expected to lower to about 300 metres this evening. In the 12 hours from 6pm Sunday to 6am Monday, 10 to 15cm of snow may accumulate above 400 metres with lesser amounts down to 300 metres. These snowfalls will be accompanied by gale force winds. During Monday morning, the showers should ease and the snow level gradually rise above 700 metres

– Homepage image / File, Alison Metherell

– WeatherWatch.co.nz