Understanding the systems that shape our week.
South Island state highways have reopened after a burst of low-level snow, but NZTA is warning drivers that ice and black ice may now be the bigger hazard as freezing temperatures settle in.
MetService is warning much of New Zealand to prepare for another frosty start after a cold snap sent temperatures well below zero across inland centres and pushed electricity supply management back into the public conversation.
MetService meteorologist Michael Pawley says Lake Tekapo recorded New Zealand's coldest night of the year so far, with the air temperature dropping to minus 12.5C in the early hours of Sunday.
A low-pressure system arriving late Tuesday is forecast to bring up to 200mm of rain, severe gales and a sharp temperature drop across much of the country.
Forecasts are easier to use when you understand the systems behind them. A plain-language guide.