Temperatures have been above average during this Easter break over many parts of the country, especially in some northern and eastern areas and that theme is set to continue today however tomorrow and Tuesday appear to be quite a different story.

A very cold pool of air is lurking in the Southern Ocean and a band of rain and wintry showers is set to move up the South Island tomorrow and continue to advance its trek on Tuesday over much of the North Island.

Snow is likely to fall to similar levels to last weekend over the South Island with a good coating to relatively low levels over the Alps and foothills however the wind is forecast to pick up making conditions feel even more wintry.

Temperatures are likely to struggle to make double digits over much of Otago and Southland tomorrow and Cantabrians could be in for a shivering Easter Monday afternoon once the southerly takes hold.

The good news for West coasters is that the southerly will clear the rain and remaining showers away tomorrow to reveal a mostly sunny week with high cloud and although it’s likely to be breezy, the mercury should make the high teens.