Weekend weather: Fine and dry conditions for most of NZ

It is looking like a fine time for a spring picnic across much of Aotearoa as daylight saving begins this weekend.

A band of high pressure is set to bring settled conditions to most of New Zealand as clocks go forward.

Read more:

• When does daylight saving start and why?

MetService forecast rain would sweep west across the North Island on Friday morning before clearing.

A few showers could linger in the hill country of the East Coast, it said.

Auckland could expect a daytime high of 17 degrees on Friday, but clear skies could make for a chilly overnight moving into Saturday.

In Wellington, temperatures would reach 15 degrees before dipping as low as 5 degrees overnight.

Canterbury, Marlborough and Tasman could expect a fine, dry Friday after early showers on Banks Peninsula and in Southland.

Christchurch was heading for a high of 13degC, Dunedin 10degC and Nelson 15degC.

Inland areas of the South Island could expect more snow, with flurries in Southland down to 200m, and parts of Otago down to as low as 300m.

There are road snowfall warnings in place until 5pm Friday for the following high-country routes:

• Milford Road (State Highway 94)
• Crown Range Road
• Lindis Pass (SH8)