A strong and cold southeasterly flow is expected to move up the country from Friday, bringing heavy snow to parts of the South Island and strong gales to exposed areas.

MetService has issued an Orange-level snow warning for Central Otago and southern Canterbury, where 15 to 25 centimetres of snow is forecast above 500 metres, with lesser accumulations likely down to 300 metres.

The cold front will also bring strong winds to parts of Westland, with watches and warnings now in place for both heavy snow and severe gales across affected regions.

Travel disruptions, damage to trees and powerlines, and cold stress for livestock are possible in higher areas.

“There is a low chance the snow warning could be upgraded to Red depending on how the system develops ,” a MetService spokesperson said.

Check The Central App Roads report under the Weather & Report section before you travel.