On Monday, it's a powder day in the Southern Lakes! Expect snow to start falling on the mid to upper slopes, dropping to around 900-1100m early in the morning and descending further at night, possibly impacting the top of the Crown Range Road. There will be periods of heavy snowfall with low visibility, and light easterly winds shifting to the southeast. In Canterbury, there'll be significant rain, but it will turn to snow at higher elevations in the morning. The weather might clear up a bit in the afternoon Monday, as the strong northwest winds die down.  

On Tuesday, more snow is expected across South Island resorts, with snow levels potentially dropping to 500m or lower, affecting some roads and towns. Snow showers will lighten in the Southern Lakes in the morning but intensify in Canterbury. Strong south-southeast winds will make it feel extremely cold, so dressing warmly is crucial, due to the severe wind chill.

As the day progresses in the Southern Lakes on Wednesday, any remaining light snow showers will clear up, leading to a brighter day as cloud cover starts to break. Despite this, the easterly winds will be bitterly cold. Heavy snowfall in Canterbury will lighten during the morning, with lighter snow continuing down to about 300-400m, impacting roads and towns. The area will remain cloudy with a few more light snow showers as the freezing south-southeast winds continue.

On Thursday in the Southern Lakes, the chilly easterly winds will continue, yet the skies above the resorts will remain clear and sharp, positioned over a layer of low clouds. In contrast, Canterbury will experience ongoing cloudy conditions with occasional light snow showers, as the cold south-southeast winds keep up.