Weather conditions this weekend won’t be as settled as last weekend predicts WeatherWatch.co.nz ahead of a new southerly change which should bring more snow to both islands.

The coldest of the air which will be from near, or even over, Antarctica will nick the lower South Island on Sunday bringing the snow level down to a few hundred metres with the remote Catlins region being the most exposed to the coldest weather.  Snow may fall to low levels there.

Rain and showers will push into Southland, the West Coast and Otago on Saturday turning to snow above a few hundred metres overnight Saturday and into Sunday with sleet and possibly the odd flurry to sea level, or near it. 

The cold, wet, change will then head north on Sunday bringing showers across central, western and northern regions of the country.

The situation overnight Sunday/Monday morning.  Green indicates light snow, orange heavier falls / Snow-forecast.com

Winds will generally be warm from the west on Saturday turning south westerly and becoming colder on Sunday.

Eastern areas will be mostly dry with very little of the wet stuff for places like Christchurch, Wellington, Napier and Gisborne.

Single digit highs are expected in Southland and Otago on Sunday with the likelihood of snow on Dunedin’s hilltop suburbs later on Saturday or on Sunday.  Some higher altitude highways are expected to be affected by snow.

Sleet is expected to sea level in Dunedin and Invercargill with snow in Queenstown during Sunday.

Snow flurries are also likely on the Desert Road overnight Sunday and into Monday

WeatherWatch.co.nz forecasters say skies will clear and winds will ease across Monday and Tuesday ahead of a large low pressure system that will form in the Tasman Sea.  It’s too early to know which regions will be affected by next weeks low but most models agree the top half of the North Island will be most exposed at this stage.

– WeatherWatch.co.nz