Weather: Showers, chilly temperatures linger across New Zealand in lead-up to Christmas

MetService has issued two heavy rain watches for the Westland Ranges and the headwaters of the Canterbury lakes and rivers from 5am until 4pm tomorrow.

Snowfall warnings

Road snowfall warnings have been issued for Crown Range Rd and Milford Rd (SH94) from tomorrow afternoon until 10pm.

“It’s not like we’re expecting heaps of snow; it might not even accumulate, but it’s relatively unseasonal,” Ferris said.

“If people are travelling around the south of the South Island tomorrow, it’s something to be aware of.”

Showers are forecast to push across the North Island from the west tomorrow.

⚠️ Warnings Update

🚧 Road Snowfall Warnings have been issued for Milford Road and the Crown Range Road for Friday.

❄️ Showers may fall as snow, although little, if any, snow is expected to accumulate on the road.

🚗 Please take care if on the roads.

More info:… pic.twitter.com/elgylsbTNZ

— MetService NZ (@MetService) December 18, 2025

“There looks to be a little more rain for Waikato, southwards overnight and into Saturday,” Ferris said.

The forecast looks the same for the top half of the North Island.

“There are a few showers through Friday. It looks like the majority of that rain falls overnight and through the first half of Saturday.

“Then things generally come right for the rest of the weekend.”

Temperatures are also forecast to be a mixed bag across the country.

The east side of the North Island will get highs in the mid-20s, while the top of the North Island will experience a dip in temperatures.

“It’s not going to be super noticeable for more northern parts of the North Island,” Ferris said.

“Temperatures will feel noticeably colder across the South Island tomorrow and Saturday.

“The cold air associated with the snow in the South Island makes its way up the rest of the country on Friday into Saturday,” Ferris said.

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