The first week of spring has brought freezing temperatures and snow to low levels across the South Island.
Blizzard like conditions have shut Canterbury skifields with Mt Hutt and Mt Lyford gearing up for a huge dumping of snow on Monday.
Mt Lyford skifield manager Hamish Simpson told Newshub he was expecting a whopping 80cm of fresh snow to fall which was "pretty exciting".
Snow that had been affecting alpine passes has now eased, but area warnings remain in place for Arthurs Pass (State Highway 73).
Motorists are urged to take extra care when travelling.
The southerly front is making its way up the country with severe weather warnings in place for Marlborough and Wellington.
Strong wind warnings are in place where MetService expects gust could reach up to 120km/h.
Further up the country, moderate thunderstorms, heavy rain and some hail are expected to hit the central and upper North Island throughout Monday.
Newshub.
