The South Island has been hit with a cold southeasterly flow, bringing freezing temperatures and heavy snow - and it's going to get worse.

MetService is warning weekend temperatures will drop to -11degC in the South Island, and near-freezing in the North Island. Gore is currently the coldest place in the country sitting at -1.4degC.

Otago has had a first taste of the cold snap, with the region being blanketed in snow, including settling in Dunedin city.

The ski fields are ending their best week for the season for snowfall. Porters and Mt Hutt have received a combined 80cm in the last 30 hours which will make for some great skiing today and this weekend.

Snow/ice warnings in place:
    Lewis Pass
    Arthur's Pass
    Porters Pass
    Lindis Pass
    SH1 Dunedin to Watati
    Palmerston to Gore
    SH80 Twizel to Fairlie
    SH80 Aoraki Mt Cook National Park to Ben Ohau - vehicle restrictions in place, chains required and road closed to towing vehicles

Road closures:
    SH87 Middlemarch to Outram except for 4WD vehicles
    SH1 from Pine Hill to Waitati is still closed

Newshub.co.nz

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and what is still to come -
    Record setting cold temperatures are expected over the weekend, particularly on Saturday night in the South Island.
    It could be the coldest it's been in parts of the south in 44 years, since 1972.
    MIDDAY UPDATE: Heavy snow is moving north after blanketing central and eastern parts of the South Island. The central and eastern North Island can expect heavy snow on Saturday.
    It was the COLDEST night of the year so far.

    A whopping 60cm of snow could fall on parts of the North Island above 400 metres between Friday and Sunday.
    Many schools have closed for the day, including all Dunedin primary, intermediate and kindergartens. Bus services are suspended in the southern city.
stuff.co.nz

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The North Island can expect heavy rain over the next few days, and a severe weather watch has been issued for Gisborne and Hawke's Bay until tomorrow.