WeatherWatch.co.nz forecasters say heavy snow is likely to set in again across Wellington tonight as the snow returns to the city this afternoon.

The late afternoon surge, which WeatherWatch.co.nz predicted this morning, has seen the temperature plunge to 1 degree with a wind chill of -5.

Head weather analyst Philip Duncan says the snow will spread across the lower North Island again but may not affect quite so many main centres to the north west of the city.  “Snow is expected to be heavy around Wellington, Upper Hutt and Wairarapa tonight with a moderate risk of snow flakes returning to low levels of the lower North Island like Wanganui and Taranaki”.

Mr Duncan says the heavy snow in Wellington is likely to come and go all night with snow easing tomorrow morning.  Snow will move into Hawkes Bay and Gisborne region too, to 100 or 200 metres. 

Gisborne took the national high with 13 degrees today.  The city and region has so far missed the worst of the weather but Wednesday sees the southerly fire up the east coast of the North Island across Hawkes Bay and Gisborne.

Meanwhile Christchurch and other coastal parts of Canterbury could see more snow tonight.  Weather analyst Richard Green says snow showers may return to the city tonight, but should ease in the early hours of Wednesday.  Snow isn’t expected to be as heavy as it was yesterday with passing snow flurries.  However he says the city is definitely 50/50 for snow.  “The freezing level has lifted just enough so that Christchurch, Timaru and Ashburton are all on the borderline of snow.  It’s an extremely fine line between sleet, rain and snow for those centres tonight but we don’t expect the falls to be long lasting and heavy as they were last night”.

Snow has already started to melt and turn to slush with rain showers and sleet today in the garden city.

In Dunedin a few brief snow flurries are possible but conditions there should be easing further as we head into Wednesday.

And Auckland’s chance of seeing snow is quickly fading.  A large shower this afternoon saw graupel and sleet in some areas while snow was confirmed on the tops of the Waitakere Ranges this morning in to around 300m from a passing snow shower.

Light rain showers are expected to move in to the city again tonight as a very small low tracks by but snow isn’t predicted in the CBD. 

– WeatherWatch.co.nz