A front, preceded by strong northwesterlies, is expected to move northeast over the North Island on Thursday, while a trough spreads showers north over the South Island. This trough then moves northeast over the North Island on Friday, followed by a weak ridge of high pressure.

On Saturday, a front approaches the country from the Tasman Sea, preceded by strong to gale northerlies. This front is expected to move east over New Zealand during late Saturday and Sunday, bringing heavy rain to some western areas and snow about the Alps. A trough brings a cold southwest change to the South Island later on Sunday, with snow showers to 400 metres in the far south.

There is a low confidence of rainfall accumulations approaching warning amounts about Fiordland, south Westland, Taranaki, the Central Plateau and King Country on Thursday, with a moderate confidence about the West Coast from Fiordland to Buller including the Otago and Canterbury Headwaters late Saturday to Sunday. Also, on Sunday there is a low confidence of heavy rain about Taranaki and the Central Plateau.

In addition, there is low confidence of severe northwesterly gales in exposed places of Hawkes Bay and Gisborne during Thursday. Also, there is a moderate confidence of severe north to northwesterly gales about Taranaki, Whanganui, Horowhenua, Kapiti Coast, Wairarapa, Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough and Canterbury from late Saturday to Sunday, then a low confidence about Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula and parts of Waikato on Sunday.