Seven major roads were closed due to snowfall, and the airport at the popular tourist destination of Queenstown had to halt operations due to wintry conditions.

The Antarctic blast dumped about two feet (60 cm) of snow on the Cardrona ski resort, with lesser amounts reported at other popular slopes.

The arrival of the snow came as many New Zealanders were about to enjoy the mid-winter school holiday, which starts on July 14.

When the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor orbiting on NASA’s Terra satellite passed over New Zealand at midday on Tuesday, July 8, it captured the striking image to the right, showing the cloud-free mountains of the South Island draped in fresh snow.

A closer look at the enlarged image reveals what looks like a broad band of snow covering the lower elevations of the Otago and Southland regions, at the southern end of the island.

But it is actually a layer of low cloudiness that formed when the Antarctic air mass settled in over moist terrain.

Maritime stratus can also be seen covering eastern coastal regions from near Wellington southwestward to Christchurch.

Visitors to the higher elevations of the Southern Alps were treated to visibilities well over 100 miles (160 km) in the crisp air left behind from the cold front.

Image: NASA's Modis Rapid Response System
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