MetService

State Highway One north of Dunedin has been closed due to heavy snow, with warnings issued for parts of Hawke's Bay, Taupō and Gisborne.

After being saturated by rain during winter, Wellington had a chance to dry out this week, but some showers were still expected. And those articles are free. ^TP— Waka Kotahi NZTA Auckland & Northland (@WakaKotahiAkNth) A heavy snow warning was in place for the higher parts of Hawke's Bay, southern Taupō and Taihape from 5pm Monday to 5am Tuesday and for the Gisborne ranges from 1am to 7am on Tuesday. The rain was being brought by a low pressure system coming out of the north Tasman Sea, and was expected to move east-southeast across the upper North Island during Monday into Tuesday. The southerlies forecast for the north on Monday evening would mark the arrival of a cold snap that would cover the country for several days. There was also a chance of heavy snow in some central parts of the North Island overnight Monday, with MetService advising as much as 35cm could fall on the Desert Road, and 15cm on the Napier-Taupō Road. A small amount of snow was possible about the summit of the Remutaka Hill Road north of Wellington overnight and into early Tuesday. [Rivers of rain in the snow a 'cruel twist of fate' for top of the south skifield](https://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/300668840/rivers-of-rain-in-the-snow-a-cruel-twist-of-fate-for-top-of-the-south-skifield?rm=a) Snow was falling in Dunedin from Monday afternoon and was forecast to fall to low levels for parts of Christchurch. [cutting Kaitāia off from the rest of the country](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/weather-news/300664547/northland-downpour-streets-flooded-kaitia-cut-off-600-without-power) and causing the [closure of SH1 at Mangamuka Gorge](https://www.stuff.co.nz/northland/129644912/heavy-rain-in-northland-closes-sh1-south-of-kaitia-indefinitely-due-to-slips). Police also confirmed they had a number of call-outs to weather related crashes in central Dunedin as snow settled on the streets.