Children playing in the snow on Nick Parkes' farm in Owaka, South Otago. Photo: Supplied to RNZ
Farms in parts of Otago have been left covered in inches of snow after a cold blast swept across the lower half of the South Island.
Nick Parkes, who runs a sheep, beef and dairy support farm in Owaka, said it started snowing on Friday morning and hasn't really stopped.
"It wasn't too bad to begin with, just a few skiffs here and there, but then it started to get a lot heavier so I had to come home from my hunting trip early."
"We've ended up with about four inches of snow around the house and it's a complete white-out on the farm."
Children on Nick Parkes' farm in Owaka, South Otago. Photo: Supplied to RNZ
Parkes said his farm is up higher so he's used to a decent snow dump a couple of times a year.
"This year we're lucky, we've had a decent run into winter, there was plenty of feed around so the animals are handling it a bit better because they've got a bit of fat on their backs.
"We usually take the hoggets off crop and put them in a sheltered block, our ewes that we shore a couple weeks back we've put them into a bush block out the back so they have ample feed and shelter."
There's no sign of thawing yet, apart from on the road where people have been driving up and down to have a look at the snow, he said.
"It's the start of the school holidays so it's been great for the kids, they've been running around all day tobogganing around the farm."
Snow in Dunedin's hill suburbs. Photo: RNZ/Tess Brunton
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Heavy snow warnings were issued by MetService for Central Otago, the Southern Lakes, Dunedin, Clutha, Southland and Stewart Island, and Fiordland about and south of Doubtful Sound, lasting into Monday in some places.
Heavy Rain could also be on the horizon for Southland and Clutha, with a weather watch posted by MetService for Monday.
Photo: RNZ/Tess Brunton
Meanwhile in the North Island, MetService warned travellers using the Desert Road (SH1) it could be affected by snow into Sunday night.
Strong wind warnings or watches were also in place for Hawke's Bay and Tararua, Marlborough, Nelson, the Canterbury high country, Dunedin, Clutha, Southland, and Stewart Island. While NIWA warned areas experiencing strong winds could see power cuts.
Photo: RNZ/Tess Brunton
Weather should settle by Thursday, MetSevice said.