A cold southwesterly airflow lies over the country today however it will start to ease overnight as an anticyclone muscles in from the Tasman Sea. This flow eases further on Tuesday although it may still be fresh about eastern coastal areas in the morning.

Showers for most western parts of the North Island today, a few snow flurries about higher parts of the Central Plateau / Desert Road. Drier about the Hawkes Bay, Gisborne and Bay Of Plenty. Showers for most South Island regions also however mainly dry about Nelson, Marlborough, South Westland and South Canterbury. Some parts of Canterbury will have a frosty start this morning. Snow flurries about the hills / ranges of inland Nelson and Buller to 500m, snow to 400m about Southland and Otago. Snow to 500m about Banks Peninsula from evening.

Mainly sunny and or dry for western parts of the country on Tuesday, quite cold to start though especially for inland areas. The odd shower clears the Auckland region in the afternoon. Morning cloud for Southland and Otago clears then mostly sunny, some cloud at times during the day for Canterbury with showers out on Banks Peninsula clearing during the afternoon. Showers about the Wairarapa and Mahia Peninsula ease during the day.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz