'Snow at last' - weather warnings as 'complex trough' crosses

Cardrona Alpine Resort is reporting snow is "dumping" up the mountain and set to continue throughout the day.

It is advising chains are required on all vehicles heading up the access road to the ski area for what it is describing as "storm skiing".

"Snow at last," it says on its Facebook page this morning, posting a photo of steady snow falling outside ski HQ.

"It's dumping and there's no sign of it stopping anytime soon."

In the Whakatipu, The Remarkables is also celebrating, saying snow is falling steadily on its trails, creating a six centimetre at the resort base and up to eight centimetres at the top of its Shadow run, while Coronet Peak is closed.

The natural white stuff is long overdue at the southern ski areas, which have been relying largely on snowmaking to keep visitors sliding.

MetService has issued a series of weather alerts for the area, including road snow warnings for the Milford Road (State Highway 94), the Crown Range, and the Lindis Pass (State Highway 8).

It says a "complex trough" is crossing the South Island from today, being "severe weather".

There is a heavy snow watch for inland areas of Otago, where periods of heavy snow are expected above 800 metres this morning, before lowering to 300 metres tonight.

Meanwhile, further east in Otago, people are bring advised to prepare for potential power outages and travel disruptions with snow expected to as low as 200 metres.

The New Zealand Transport Agency is asking motorists to check weather and road conditions before travelling.

"When heading out in snowy conditions, carry warm clothes, water, and snacks in case you get stuck or need to wait for conditions to pass.

"You should also make sure you have at least half a tank of fuel or enough range in case of detours and diversions."

Stay across MetService's latest weather alerts at www.metservice.com/warnings/home and NZTA's real-time travel information showing delays and road conditions at www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz