Snow is falling far and wide across the South Island

Areas including Canterbury's High Country have been hit by an icy blast with Arthur's Pass and Castle Hill villages covered in snow.

Road snowfall warnings are in place for Crown Range Rd, Milford Rd, Porters Pass, Lewis Pass, and Arthur's Pass, and Desert Road.

Meteorologist Dan Corrigan says snow is in Clinton, Arrowtown, on the hills above Queenstown and in the Mackenzie district.

He says as the cold air mass spreads across the South Island snow is reaching low levels - particularly in Southland and South Otago.

In the North Island, Corrigan says wind gusts in Whanganui, Palmerston North, and New Plymouth are getting up to 100 k.