Traditional winter weather will make its return for much of New Zealand over the coming days, with rain, snow and cold winds set to plague swathes of the country.
"New Zealand's weather is returning to the more classic variety with a couple of cold fronts on the way later this week and weekend, and the usual windy and mild west-to-north-west winds giving way to colder sou'westers," WeatherWatch said on Tuesday.
The West Coast is in for a drenching later in the week, with spells of torrential rain expected for Fiordland and south Westland in particular. A heavy rain warning may be issued for the affected areas, WeatherWatch noted.
Eastern and northern parts of the country may enjoy a weekend without wet weather, with low accumulation over the coming days. It could be a chilly one for the northern regions however, with the surge of cold air set to reach Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Auckland by Sunday.
A dumping of heavy snow is expected in the south, especially as the colder of the two fronts moves through, WeatherWatch continued.
"Snow will be heavy as well," it said. "This may dump 50 to 70mm of snow on the Southern Alps in some locations, and the alpine highways may have some disruptions."
Flurries of light snow are also likely in the North Island's Central Plateau this weekend, spelling potential disruptions for motorists travelling along State Highway 1 on Desert Rd or the Napier-Taupo Highway on State Highway 5.
"Colder air will surge northwards this Friday and Sunday, bringing more snow to the mountains and ranges in both islands," WeatherWatch says.
As the cool air is coming in from the west, there is no risk of snow for Christchurch or Wellington, both of which experienced severe cold snaps earlier this week due to south-to-south-east winds.
Temperatures will fluctuate for much of the country, with Wednesday looking warmer than average for most regions as westerly winds return after a lingering, widespread chill on Monday.
"High pressure parked in the north Tasman Sea, north-west of New Zealand, will encourage milder nor'west winds across the country over the next couple of days with airflows exiting Australia," WeatherWatch explained.
"Tonight is still cold in the east and north east of both islands, as Monday's wintry blast lingers, but by Wednesday it's pushed east out to sea by a milder incoming nor'wester.
"It's all ahead of [the] classic cold fronts on the way."
Meanwhile, Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is encouraging tourists to delay their travel if possible as several state highways throughout the central North Island were closed on Tuesday due to snow and icy conditions.
SH1 Taihape to Rangipo (including Desert Rd), SH4 Tohunga Junction (Ohakune) to National Park, SH41 Manunui to Kuratau, SH47 Rangipo to National Park, SH49 Waiouru to Tohunga Junction (Ohakune) and Napier-Taihape Rd were all closed due to the wintry blast.
"Motorists are encouraged to delay their travel where possible. Detours are via SH3 New Plymouth or SH5 Napier and will add significant time to a journey," the NZTA said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Those who are travelling should expect winter driving conditions and keep their speeds down, maintain a safe following distance and stay alert. People can also check the Waka Kotahi Facebook, Twitter and Journey Planner webpages for the latest weather and road conditions before setting out."
In an update shortly before 2pm, the NZTA confirmed the state highways have been reopened, but urged motorists to continue to monitor their speeds, maintain a safe following distance and drive to the conditions.
Earlier on Tuesday, heavy rainfall in the Taumarunui area caused two large slips, reducing SH43 down to one lane at Hikumutu near Paparoa Rd.
