An icy southerly moving up the North Island is bringing snow and gale-force winds to Waikato and Bay of Plenty, says the Weather Watch website.
It says it has received reports of snow falling on paddocks on the Mamaku Ranges near Rotorua, and on Mount Pirongia near Te Awamutu, south of Hamilton.
It says gales are gusting to almost 110 kilometres an hour around East Cape.
In Manukau Heads, southerlies are gusting to 90 kilometres an hour.
MetService is forecasting heavy rain for Hawkes Bay and Gisborne on Tuesday night and Wednesday as the cold southerly flow over the North Island turns easterly.
