Spring weather swings from snow and frost to warmer days as school holidays begin

A wintry start to the school holidays is expected to give way to clearer skies, lighter winds and warmer temperatures across much of New Zealand this week, after a burst of snow, heavy rain and strong winds affected parts of the country over the weekend.

MetService says the period from Monday, 28 September to Friday, 2 October will show the sharp temperature swings typical of spring. Frosty mornings are expected in some areas early in the week before strengthening northwesterly winds lift temperatures along the eastern side of both islands.

The change follows a cold final Sunday of September. MetService said cold air moving in from the south combined with moisture in warmer air above, producing heavy snow at higher elevations and bringing some snowflakes down to low levels on the Canterbury Plains. Alpine roads were affected in the South Island.

The same system also delivered heavy rain and strong winds. According to MetService, Angle Knob in the Tararua Ranges recorded 140 millimetres of rain in 16 hours, while Cape Turnagain recorded a wind gust of 174 kilometres per hour shortly after 3pm on Sunday.

Conditions are expected to improve during the first half of the week as remaining showers clear and sunshine becomes more widespread. MetService meteorologist Silvia Martino said Wednesday was shaping up as a particularly favourable day for outdoor plans, with clearer skies and easing winds, including for people heading to ski fields after the fresh snowfall.

The clearing skies will not immediately remove the cold. Residual cold air combined with calmer conditions is expected to create frosty starts, with sheltered areas from Taupō south potentially seeing frost through to Thursday morning.

Afternoon temperatures begin the week largely in the low to mid-teens, but the pattern changes later as northwesterly winds strengthen. MetService expects eastern areas from Gisborne to Dunedin to reach the twenties by the end of the working week.

Dunedin illustrates the scale of the expected spring swing. Its forecast high rises from about 13C on Monday to 21C on Friday. MetService said the Friday temperature would be around 6C above the city’s average for this time of year.

A front is forecast to approach towards the end of the working week, but a ridge of high pressure is expected to remain over much of New Zealand. That should keep the main rain risk focused on the lower South Island while settled conditions continue elsewhere.

The forecast is particularly relevant as families begin school holiday travel and outdoor activities following weekend disruptions on alpine routes. Conditions can still change quickly in spring, and MetService advises people to check current forecasts and severe weather information before travelling, particularly in areas exposed to frost, snow or strong winds.

Source: MetService New Zealand weather news release, 28 September 2026.