A Wellington man who filmed snow flurries in a hillside suburb this morning says the city has been transformed from "windy Welly to snowy Welly".

Joseph K Sobin left his Brooklyn house for an early morning run to be greeted by flurries of what appeared to be snow.

"Already, I feel my cheeks reddening as blood rushes to them, trying to warm my face and I just thought windy welly has transformed to snowy welly!!"

MetService meteorologist Dan Corrigan says there were reports of snow at higher levels around the capital, along with light icy showers, sleet and hail at lower elevations.

"But a lot of what we have been seeing is more like ice pellets or hail, that you would have quite a bit of trouble making a snow ball out of."

Corrigan said today's conditions couldn't be compared to the 2011 "outlier" Wellington weather when snow fell in seaside suburbs such as Oriental Bay and in the CBD.

The bitterly cold conditions were being driven by a flow from Southern Ocean and, while any icy showers should clear this afternoon, the chilly conditions will remain.

"That cold showery flow has brought in some really cool air and that's hanging around for the next few days."

Spring chill hits NZ

Meanwhile temperatures have dropped across the country this morning as snow falls in Christchurch this morning.

A wintry blast is moving up the country and multiple highways are closed.

• HDPA: I was going to vote for Paul Eagle in the Wellington Mayoral race, but I don't want to reward a liar
• Wellington driver blows 1000 micrograms of breath alcohol

Residents in Christchurch are waking to snow showers and cars and backyards coated.

Much of the country woke to wintry temperature this morning, in the North Island the coldest area was Taupō on 0C and in the South Island Twizel was down to -5C.

Multiple roads across the country are closed due to snow.

State Highway 5 between Taupō and Napier and the Desert Rd are closed.

Snow has closed State Highway 1 between Dunedin and Waitati.

State Highway 87 between Middlemarch and Outram and State Highway 85 between Kyeburn and Dunback are also closed.