A blanket of snow in Canterbury has forced truck drivers to sleep on the roadside.
State Highway 7 through Lewis Pass closed overnight, after wintry conditions caused a spate of accidents in the daylight.
The South Island was lashed with severe weather on Thursday, including a heavy downpour and even a small tornado bringing down trees in the West Coast.
Around 25 drivers were left stranded by the conditions.
Some trucks also lined the highway through Murchison and Culverden to sleep after realising the Lewis Pass was closed, as seen in the New Zealand Transport Agency road cam footage.
It's unlikely the road will re-open before 9am on Friday, and more snow is expected in the South Island later in the day.
Newshub.
