Snow is expected on Milford Road, Crown Range Road and Lindis Pass overnight (file image). Photo: Supplied / Queenstown Lakes District Council
While the wild weather overnight left warm temperatures on Monday, it will be a completely different story on Tuesday.
Severe gales and downpours swept across much of the North Island overnight with other areas like the Kahurangi National Park in west Tasman receiving about 230mm of rain as well.
However, it also brought a very mild start to the week for winter, not dropping below 16 degrees Celsius all night in places like Whangārei.
Whakatu in the Hawke's Bay reached 25C on Monday, it's second warmest winter temperature since records began in 1965, according to NIWA.
NIWA said this was higher than its average maximum temperature in January.
MetService said there would be scattered showers for parts of the country for the rest of Monday, with Canterbury, Otago and Southland seeing periods of rainy weather.
But MetService meteorologist John Law said Tuesday would be a lot drier for many places and snow was forecast overnight for the lower South Island.
Snowfall warnings have been issued Milford Road (SH94) with up to 10cm of snow to accumulate about the tunnel and lesser amounts down to 600 metres.
Crown Range Road and Lindis Pass (SH8) also had warnings, with up to 3cm of snow expected to accumulate about the summit of the road and lesser amounts down to 700 metres.
"The combination of wetter weather and cold air brings the ingredients needed to generate some snowfall about the highest parts of the lower South Island tonight," Law said.
"[But] generally an improving night across the top of New Zealand with some clearer skies coming back towards us."
The clearer skies would come with freezing temperatures though, he said.
"Even down below freezing for places like Queenstown, -1C and even up on the North Island, temperatures are a good 3, 4, 5 degrees cooler than we saw first thing on Monday morning."
Wet end to the week
But Law warned that the end of week would see the return of wet weather across many parts of the country.
MetService said rain was forecast in the north and west of the North Island on Thursday with potentially heavy downpours spreading south on Friday.
The South Island had a similar forecast for Thursday with rain in the north and west, but Friday would see the wet weather ease in the west and head to the east.