It’s mild across many parts of the country at the moment as westerly quarter winds build ahead of a cold front that will head north up New Zealand over Wednesday and Thursday.

Snow is expected to “low levels” in the deep south – perhaps just 100 or 200 metres, with flurries to 300m around Canterbury and 400 to 500m around the North Island on Thursday.

Dry Canterbury will also get some wet weather as the southerly moves through.

A high comes in behind it – and by the weekend we’re back to mild winds, some from the sub-tropics.