Snow dumps and red rain warning: Stormy winter front to hit South Island holidaymakers

Sunday, 5 July 2026

State Highway 8 towards the Lindis Pass Summit Lookout was blanketed with snow on Sunday morning.

Families hitting the road for the school holidays and heading home after Christchurch’s All Blacks test are being urged to brace for wild weather – including possible road closures if snowy conditions worsen.

Much of the South Island is covered by severe rain, snow, and wind watches and warnings, including a rare, red-level heavy rain warning spanning coastal Dunedin and Clutha.

Snow forced the closure of the Lindis Pass - State Highway 8 from Omarama to Tarras - on Sunday night, as well as SH87 from Kyeburn to Outram and SH85 from Kyeburn to Palmerston in Otago. Parts of SH88 between Sawyers Bay and Port Chalmers near Dunedin were also shut due to flooding.

The wind, rain and snow are being driven by a cold southeast flow pushing its way up the country, MetService says, which is expected to have lingering effects throughout the week, despite the risk of severe weather set to ease by Friday.

An orange heavy rain warning is in effect for Marlborough and inland Canterbury north of Lake Sumner until 6pm Tuesday, with lighter drizzle likely until Wednesday.

Other warnings included a heavy snow warning for Otago and northern Southland overnight on Sunday; a rain watch for Canterbury north of the Rangitata River, and a heavy snow watch south of the Rangitata – where snow may continue until Tuesday morning.

Canterbury is also to get its fair share of rain, with a wet start to the week expected after a mild weekend.

The West Coast south of Westport, and parts of Fiordland both have strong wind watches in place throughout Monday, which may approach severe gales in exposed places.

Further south, Dunedin's civil defence bunker has been activated, and sandbag stations have opened as the city braces for potential flooding, RNZ reports.

There were also road snowfall warnings in force across four major South Island roads as of midday on Sunday, including some popular holiday routes.

These include the West Coast’s Haast Pass on State Highway 6, where snow was expected to fall down to 400m before easing at about 9pm on Sunday.

Otago’s Lindis Pass on State Highway 8 could get up to 25cm of snow settling up near the summit, with snow expected to keep falling through until 9am on Monday.

Crown Range Rd was also expected to get a few centimetres of snow settling on the road between Sunday afternoon and the early hours of Monday morning.

State Highway 1 from Dunedin to Waitati, 20km north of the city, would likely see its heavy rain turn to snow above 300m, through until about 2pm on Monday. As much as 10cm could accumulate on the road, forecasters warned.

Ross McLeod (red helmet) and Brian Trevathan enjoy a sea kayaking session at New Brighton Beach on a sunny Sunday morning, before the weather was expected to turn wet and cold over the coming days.

In Christchurch, dogwalkers and even kayakers made the most of Sunday’s bright morning, before the weather started to cool and clouds began to roll in.

MetService forecaster Gerard Bellam said the strong, cold front set to sweep over the South Island was already “in play” as of Sunday afternoon.

He urged anyone hitting the road across the South Island to check the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) journey planner, to make sure road conditions were safe.

But the severe rain set to wash over Dunedin was likely to be some of the front’s most “high impact” weather.

Between 80mm and 120mm of rain is expected to fall across the area between Sunday afternoon and 9am Monday.

“Parts of South Dunedin are quite low lying … and quite at risk of flooding,” he said.

“Certainly if you’re around the Otago area, you’re best to hunker down.”

The system was going to take a few days to resolve. But later in the week, Bellam said, “it could be bluebird skies”.

The snow dump was likely to bolster skifields across both Otago and Canterbury, he said, creating prime conditions for families considering a school holiday ski trip.

“For every cloud comes a silver lining”.

NZTA said it had crews ready to respond to the weather conditions.

“With potential for road snow closures and delays, people are advised to carry warm clothes, water and food in case they get stuck, or need to stop and wait for the weather to pass.

“Ensuring sufficient battery range or petrol in the tank is also advised in case there are detours and diversions required.”

In areas with heavy rain, NZTA said people should think about adjusting their speeds and travelling distances, avoiding sudden braking, and staying visible.

Drivers are also urged to avoid driving through floodwaters where the depth is unclear and there may be hidden obstructions. Those driving high-sided vehicles, towing vehicles or motorcycles should also be careful in severe gales.