Reports are coming in of snow falling in western Otago this morning.  Following a very mild few days the temperature has dropped significantly today and according to one weatherwatch.co.nz reader 5cms (2 inches) of snow has fallen over the past two hours.

And the Weather Watch Centre confirms conditions are perfect for snow.  It’s currently just 3 degrees in Queenstown and Gore with heavy precipitation in some areas.  Mr Duncan says it’s hard to say exactly where the snow is falling at this stage but with temperatures so low and moisture high snow could be possible in a number of Central Otago and northern Southland regions.

The strong southerly change has also arrived in Dunedin where it’s just 6 degrees.

Head weather analyst Philip Duncan says the cold snap will be short and will be felt as far north as Hawkes Bay by late tomorrow.  “As this small cold front moves up the country areas like Otago, Canterbury, Wellington, Wairarapa and Hawkes Bay will all see a sharp drop in temperatures”.

Mr Duncan says some places will be 10 to 15 degrees cooler today or tomorrow than they were yesterday thanks to the southerly change, but he says in true spring style the warm nor’westers will return quickly.  “One thing about spring is that it’s incredibly changeable – cold one day, warm the next.  By Monday a warm nor’wester will return but again by Tuesday it appears another cool sou’westwe will take it’s place”.

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