By Hamish Clarke
We're already a few days into spring, but winter is refusing to release its grip.
A sharp southerly is storming its way up the country, dumping snow on the mountains and freezing rain at lower levels.
The snow fell just before dawn in Queenstown, chilling the wildlife, and stirring the grit trucks into action.
Driving on top of the white stuff was easy for the old hands, but you can't be too careful in these conditions.
The spectacular scenery is just what tourists come for when they visit Queenstown.
The cold front quickly raced up the middle of the South Island; brushing the tops with a dusting of snow.
For farmers this is lambing season, the light dusting is more of a distraction than a disaster.
“A bit of snow is usually no problem, driving rain and wind get a couple three days of that that would be a problem more,” says Crown Terrace farmer Craig Gardyne.
On Banks Peninsula, stock sheltered from the driving rain behind tuffs of tussock.
The cold polar blast is a reminder that the winter weather isn’t over just yet. Three days into spring up on top of the Port Hills it is blowing; it’s sleeting and it’s trying to snow and there is more cold weather due in the middle of next week.
“It is not widespread and the snow amounts wont be very much and also it is not going to last very long so it will clear up in most places tonight or early tomorrow,” says MetService forecaster Oliver Druce.
Just the news farmers want to hear with more lambs due over the weekend.
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