North Island brace yourself as bitterly cold snap that's belted the South Island hits

North Islanders brace yourself as the wild weather that has belted the South Island is coming your way.

Bitterly cold winds, rain and snow to low levels are expected to hit regions across the North Island from overnight Friday. 

Heavy snow that blanketed parts of the South Island is expected to fall in the North Island's Central Plateau. 

MetService has a heavy snow watch in place for Taihape into Saturday morning where snow is expected to 600 metres. 

Strong winds are also expected to batter some regions. Strong wind warnings are in place for Taranaki and Wellington, where gusts could reach up to 120 km/h overnight. 

And Aucklanders, you won't escape the bad belt of weather, with showers expected on Saturday.

It's over a month into spring and winter refuses to let go.

Porters Pass was blasted with a coating of snow - catching travellers by surprise.

For sheep at Castle Hill Station, shorn just two days ago, the snow couldn't have come at a worse time. 

"We feed them as good as possible, keep them out of the wind, then they survive," farmer Jos Ven Deklundert says.

The October howler whipped up the South Island bringing strong winds and snow at Mt Cook Village in the Mackenzie Country.

Last month, parts of central Otago were blanketed with heavy snow that saw flights cancelled and left residents in Queenstown, Frankton and Arrowtown without power.

Newshub.