Heavy snowfall and wintry conditions have disrupted many people's travel plans for the first day of the school holidays.
All flights were grounded between 8am and 3pm today because of poor visibility.
With low temperatures and strong wind, the wind chill may have felt like -20 in some places, NIWA forecaster Nava Fedaeff says.
For the latest updates:
Heavy snow warnings are in place for Fiordland and parts of Southland, and snow is forecast for Dunedin, Clutha and Central Otago, Nelson west of Motueka, Buller and Westland north of Arthur's Pass.
MetService is forecasting strong wind in Canterbury, Marlborough, the lower North Island and parts of Hawke's Bay.
