Heavy snow fell overnight in the southern half of the South Island to fairly low levels, with estimates putting it as low as just 400 metres.

The heavy snow came from a cold front crossing New Zealand. While the temperature drop isn’t much for northerners, it was significant for southerners that a week ago were nearly at 30 degrees C.

The coldest air is now shifting away from the country with a milder Thursday coming for the south – but another colder day on Friday may see a few lighter snow flurries on the ranges.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says snow in November does happen from time to time as we’re still only around the halfway mark of spring.

• The system gave heavy snow of 30-50cm in the southern mountains of the South island on Tuesday, and snowfalls reached 80-100cm in a few areas of the Southern Alps.
• Snow will continue during this morning over the mountains of the South Island, but it will weaken this afternoon.

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(cold air high up in the atmosphere today shifts east of NZ)

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@PhilipDuncan a week after we had 4 straight days of over 23 degrees, I wake up to an unexpected dunp of snow… pic.twitter.com/RpyzFpsgXm

— blake newport (@blakers_newport) November 7, 2017

@WeatherWatchNZ @PhilipDuncan Wow Philip sitting down here at the farm at Merino Downs, Gore and we have a thick layer of snow on the farm!

— Alison Deaker (@AlisonDeaker) November 7, 2017

WTF happened here @PhilipDuncan @WeatherWatchNZ
November is off it’s bloody face! pic.twitter.com/QNBJJkApUh

— Blocka (@blairdrysdale77) November 7, 2017

It did say one stage last night to 400m, hmmm we are 200m pic.twitter.com/ISXsBBPVBF

— Sharon Paterson (@Dayzie72) November 7, 2017

Come skiing Coronet looks nicely covered. pic.twitter.com/Cz48ZpF6Fs

— Honky Tonk Woman â˜•ï¸ (@TonkWoman) November 7, 2017

Boiling snow to feed the lamb #nopower November snow good foot and a bit @NZBeefLamb @WeatherWatchNZ @HokonuiRadio pic.twitter.com/16TGvbMy7K

— Olivia Ross (@rossag4life) November 7, 2017

@WeatherWatchNZ Woke up to this annoying stuff on the ground! Seriously! pic.twitter.com/wgwjb1XVml

— Katrina Thomas (@katrinathomas67) November 7, 2017

November in the south,looking towards Tapanui. @WeatherWatchNZ pic.twitter.com/FYzSgrY3Qb

— Bruce (@fairleigh_ag) November 7, 2017