{"id":539608,"date":"2026-07-23T02:08:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T02:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/539608\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T02:08:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T02:08:10","slug":"polar-blast-to-bring-snow-and-temperatures-of-7%cb%9ac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/539608\/","title":{"rendered":"Polar blast to bring snow and temperatures of -7\u02daC"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"\"\"Sheep feed on hay following snow at Lee Stream earlier this month. Photo: Peter McIntosh <\/p>\n

Single-digit highs and temperatures dropping as low as -7\u02daC\u00a0will bite, while\u00a0widespread snow could fall\u00a0to low levels over much of Southland and inland Otago this weekend.<\/p>\n

MetService meteorologist John Law\u00a0said snow was expected to start falling late tomorrow night around the southern regions, and would continue in Southland\u00a0and Central Otago until late Saturday\u00a0morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there\u00a0will be a chance of perhaps some pretty low levels of snow, particularly in those central parts of Otago, overnight Friday, in towards Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n

MetService on Thursday issued road snowfall warnings for the Crown Range Road and the Milford Road, (State Highway 94) from Friday into Saturday.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Mr Law said northwesterlies would bring warmer temperatures to Dunedin today, which is forecast to reach 15\u02daC.<\/p>\n

But it would also bring rain, which was\u00a0expected to spread across the southern regions tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Later in the day, those winds would turn southwesterly, bringing very cold air up from the Southern Ocean, which\u00a0would likely turn the rain to snow.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need a few things for snow.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need the moisture, but you also need those cold temperatures, and I think Friday night is our best chance for both of those as they\u00a0run\u00a0through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Law said the snow would miss Dunedin and Oamaru,\u00a0but Balclutha and the rest of South Otago\u00a0could see a lot of snow.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think snow to low levels\u00a0will be a bigger risk for those more inland areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd because the temperatures are so cold, I think the snow will probably settle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t be surprised to see some of those higher roads have some issues with some snowfall through there.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said Saturday night into Sunday morning\u00a0was\u00a0expected to be \u201cextremely cold\u201d, temperatures well below zero bringing frost and black ice to roads across Otago and Southland.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the real issue will be, any moisture that comes through and then hits a cold road, will freeze.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will definitely be worth taking extra care, particularly for that first part of the morning on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cSunday morning \u2014\u00a0it will be really cold, really frosty.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you plan to head out and about in the early hours of the morning, just be aware that there will be these pockets of\u00a0frost,\u00a0especially in\u00a0shady areas.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, it will be important to take\u00a0extra time and\u00a0extra care on the roads over the next few days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the frigid forecast, organisers of the New Zealand and Australian defence forces say\u00a0Exercise Tauwharen\u012bkau would still go\u00a0ahead around Gore.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to train in all-weather situations.\u201d<\/p>\n

A ridge of high pressure was expected to build later on Sunday, and\u00a0Mr Law said\u00a0the weather would warm up to \u201cdouble digits\u201d again for the start of next week.<\/p>\n

john.lewis@odt.co.nz<\/p>\n