After a week of cold winds, hail, snow, thunderstorms, gales and rain, families heading away for the start of the school holidays will be pleased to know the forecast looks good…at least to start with.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says ideal skiing and travelling weather will move in this weekend as a large high drifts in from Australia and helps push the wintry southerlies out east of the country.

“The forecast looks great this weekend, a few clouds possible in some coastal areas otherwise sunny and frosty” says head weather analyst Philip Duncan.

“All of the ski fields have enjoyed snow this week, now we have a big high coming in for this weekend which often brings clear skies and light winds to alpine areas”.

However WeatherWatch.co.nz warns motorists to be aware of black ice over the next few nights and mornings  “After the snow and rain the roads are wet and we don’t have the best conditions to dry that moisture up.  At night, when freezing temperatures arrive, those wet roads freeze over to create black ice. It’s invisible and like driving a vehicle on wet slippery glass”.

Black ice is forecast through many South Island areas that have had rain or snow in the past 24 hours and it’s a similar story for roads around Central Plateau.

Over Saturday and Sunday the high will be locked in over New Zealand – but sadly, for holidaymakers, the next frontal system moves in on Monday.

“The wind and rain return on Monday and Tuesday, although it is likely to be considerably warmer with air being pulled down from the sub-tropics for northern and western New Zealand and winds from the northerly quarter elsewhere”.

The unsettled weather may well last for much of next week as a low crosses central New Zealand, according to today’s forecast models.

Homepage image / File, Lake Pearson Francis Vallance

– WeatherWatch.co.nz

Want to see the rain forecast maps for the next two weeks?  Click here to view