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Some residents in Otago and Southland woke up to freezing temperatures and fresh snow, and more fell this morning.
Snow on Coronet Peak this morning.
Photo: Elle McCammon
The unusual meteorological event occurs when parts of the North Island register temperatures above 20 degrees.
MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said a cold front was making its way to the South Island followed by colder air that was bringing down the freezing level.
She said the summer snow was unusual, but not completely unheard of.
“For snow, we have received a number of reports, mainly in the Southland region, including Fiordland. Areas at higher altitudes would have received a little more snow, however there were reports of snow even up to about 200 m this morning. “
Cooler air keeps temperatures in the lower South Island in their mid-teens today, and Gore and Invercargill are expected to hit 13 ° C in the off-season.
Makgabutlane said there could be powder snow until dawn tomorrow, but that they should clear by dawn.
Athol resident Dave Raynes said there was an inch of snow around his house when he got up around 6 a.m.
Snow was on the ground during his 15-minute drive down the road to Garston for his morning coffee.
“It’s white, you can really see through the hills, there’s snow on the ground, visibility is pretty low too. But now it’s starting to drizzle, the snow is melting.”
Judy McMillan lives in Garston, a small settlement about an hour’s drive south of Queenstown.
“This is a lot of snow, when we woke up this morning it was snow that we think is winter snow, snow that will not only leave small lakes … There is probably about 2 inches of snow right now and it is still snowing,” McMillan said .
