Most South Island roads closed by snow on Thursday morning have now reopened, but in Southland it is ice that is causing problems for motorists.
The Lindis Pass, between Omarama and Tarras, and State Highway 87 between Outram and Middlemarch are now clear, but chains are essential.
Around Christchurch, roads on the Port Hills are open with the
exception of Dyers Pass Road from the Sign of the Takahe to the
summit, which will stay shut until Friday.
Snow on Wednesday night in the hills of Otago and Canterbury also
closed some schools and hampered efforts to restore power to
households affected by the major snow storm of last week.
Canterbury regions that were hit hardest in last week's snowfall, including Geraldine and Waimate, escaped snow on Thursday morning.
Further south, driving conditions in Dunedin are described as treacherous with ice on many roads.
It is the second day thick sheet ice has coated the city causing chaos on the roads, especially in the hill suburbs.
Police say despite issuing warnings for people to stay at home many took no notice.
Weather experts say the ice is a rare occurrence.
"These events don't happen very often, we get frosts often enough but it's not nearly as bad as a sheet of ice," meteorologist David Stewart says.
Rain helped reduce the ice to slush, but police hope the spate of accidents in the region serve as a warning to others.
Meanwhile, Canterbury Civil Defence official says farmers who do not have a generator should consider getting one to help them cope with future power failures.
CD emergency management planner Jon Mitchell says farmers preparing for future emergencies need to provide themselves with an alternative power source.
Mitchell says generators are in very short supply around Canterbury and Civil Defence is bringing in more from the North Island in case they are needed.
Most of the farmers supplying winter milk have equipped themselves with generators capable of driving their dairy sheds. But many farmers have also had to borrow generators to provide basic household services such as lighting, heating and pumping water.
Cold snap empties Mission's shelves
The cold snap has taken its toll on City Mission supplies.
In Christchurch the agency says it is in urgent need of blankets and linen and says it needs the public's help.
With temperatures bordering on freezing over the past week; supplies of blankets, linen and children's clothing have now been exhausted at the Christchurch City Mission.
Missioner Michael Gorman says with more cold weather forecast he expects demand will not end soon. He says non perishable food would also be very welcome.
