Updated 3.24PM: The Timaru District Council has opened its Civil Defence office in Geraldine for any residents that need help or advice.

GALLERY: Snow blankets the Canterbury region

A spokesperson for the council said the activation isn't in response to an emergency, but will help support people through the cold temperatures and power cuts.

With slips and surface flooding across the region, West Coast police are urging drivers to be careful.

One couple and their dog had a dramatic rescue by boat from the coastguard around on this morning.

The West Coast has borne the brunt of the South Island storm that was expected to bring snow to much of Canterbury and Otago.

In the last 30 hours, 215 millimetres of rain has fallen on Hokitika.

Westland District Councillor Andy Thompson said even by West Coast standards, the region has experienced a serious weather event and its been impossible to avoid getting wet.

Some houses have been evacuated. 

Fire Service southern communications shift manager Andrew Norris said emergency services have been bombarded by calls overnight.

• PHOTOS: Snow blankets the Canterbury region

"It would appear that the flooding systems for drainage couldn't keep up, and water levels rose around quite a few of the residential streets."

Schools closed

The following schools have been closed across the South Island:

St Josephs Pleasant Point
Pleasant Point
Aoraki/Mt Cook
Fairlie
Lake Tekapo
Mackenzie College
St Josephs Fairlie
Twizel
Methven Primary
Carew Peel Forest
Geraldine High School
Mt Hutt
Our Lady of Snows
Lauriston
Mayfield School
Woodbury School
Geraldine Primary
Mt Somers

Roads closed

Weather conditions have practically isolated the West Coast, with the Arthurs and Lindis Passes closed due to snow.

The road between Reefton and Greymouth has been closed by flooding.

NZTA's Lee Wright said South Canterbury roads are the worst and drivers need to be careful.

She says most State Highways between Fairley, Mt Cook and Geraldine are closed with snow still falling.

Almost all roads between Hokitika and Haast are affected by severe surface flooding, with drivers urged to take extreme care.

Civil Defence regional manager Chris Raine said they have to wait until daylight to asses the situation and then try to reach people.

He said no lives are at risk but is urging people not to travel.

Power outages

Over half of the nearly 5000 people in Canterbury without power have now been reconnected.

Bad weather and isolated towns have hampered Orion's efforts to get power restored.

Despite the progress, Orion's communications manager Andrew Trevelyan said many will face a cold night ahead.

"We're currently down to about two thousand one hundred customers without power, unfortunately it is slow going in quite difficult conditions."

Orion hope to have power restored by tomorrow afternoon.

 

Hokitika Rest Home Evacuated

A Hokitika rest home has been evacuated after surface flooding on the road outside spilled into the building.

Around 20 residents from Allen Bryant Life Care were transported to various locations, including the local hospital and ambulance station around midnight.

Fire Service southern communications shift manager Andrew Norris said it was done as a precautionary measure around high tide, as emergency services couldn't be certain how much more water would get in the building.

He said a handful of other houses in Hokitika have also had floodwater through them.

Snow in Canterbury

On the East Coast, it's snowing at very low levels near Christchurch.

Weather expert Richard Green said he's standing just west of the city and snow's at 100 metres above sea level.

"The Canterbury Plains inland areas have certainly been hit hard. The warnings went out a day or two ago and they've certainly come to fruition."

Richard Green said in the last couple of hours, snow's started coming in on Christchurch airport.

Weather warnings show there could be a dump of one to one-and-a-half metres of snow in some areas.

Richard Green said the storm's been a a bit hit and miss - some areas have had way more snow than expected and others have missed out.

"We're in the grips of winter, this is what we expect, it's just sometimes we don't always get it."

There's still an outside chance Christchurch could see snow before the day is out.

The snow predicted for the Garden City never materialised, with the area instead receiving 20-millimetres of rain overnight.

Mr Green said there's still a 20 to 30% chance Christchurch could receive some snow.

"Just if those temperatures drop a fraction, but mainly it appears to be rainy and sleet showers throughout the city, apart from the hill suburbs."

Richard Green said temperatures in Christchurch will begin to warm up this afternoon.