Snow last dusted Christchurch hills in April some 23 years ago - ahead of one of the coldest winters the city has seen.
Sleet, hail and snow flurries lashed Christchurch overnight and through the morning closing two roads and making driving conditions difficult.
The city rose to a bone-chilling 4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, though it felt like -1C, the MetService said.
Wintry blast hits Christchurch with first April snow since 1992 | Stuff.co.nz