Five drivers had to leave their vehicles on the Crown Range road overnight.

A rescue operation to save 36 people, including young children, trapped by snow in the hills of Southland, has itself been hampered by inclement weather across the South Island that forced others to abandon their cars.

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SUPPLIED Motorists trapped after heavy snow created dangerous conditions on the Crown Range road.

The group, in 13 separate vehicles, was in the area on a four-wheel-drive trip on Sunday when they got into trouble on the Waikaia Bush Road above Piano Flat, near Roxburgh, Southern District Police Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen said.

Police and the National Rescue Coordination Centre were notified about 6.25pm after the groups found themselves unable to carry on because of the inclement weather and vehicle break-downs.

Police were concerned for the welfare of several young children in the group.

RICHARD COSGROVE/FAIRFAX NZ The Crown Range road from the Arrowtown end on a warmer day.

A land-based recovery effort was launched after severe weather ruled out the use of helicopters.

However, rescuers had been unable to reach the group overnight, due to the continuing bad weather.

Police had been in cellphone contact with the stranded people, who were safe and well.

SEAMUS BOYER/ FAIRFAX NZ It is the first time snow has fallen on Rimutaka Hill in 2016.

Although the group wasn't prepared for an overnight stay, they were "reasonably well equipped" with extra clothing, food and water.

The group also had a locator beacon, which enabled police to identify their location.

Police were monitoring the situation, and had search and rescue teams in the area ready to be deployed when the weather improved.

METSERVICE Snow falls on the Rimutaka Hill Road at about 7pm on Sunday night. The first snow on the hill in 2016.

VEHICLES ABANDONED

In Central Otago, snow forced five motorists to abandon their vehicles overnight on the Crown Range road. The treacherous conditions caused some cars to slide off the road.

The bad weather also forced the road between Queenstown and Wanaka to close on Sunday night, from the bottom of the zigzags on the Queenstown side to the Cardrona village near Wanaka.

Meanwhile, almost 1400 homes across the Wellington region spent much of Sunday evening without power on a night where the first snow fell on the Rimutaka Hill summit.

Freezing temperatures and a southerly front dumped a few centimetres of snow on State Highway 2 between Wellington and Wairarapa about 7pm, but the wintry white coating only lasted a couple of hours.

CARS ABANDONED IN SNOW

Police rescued several trapped motorists on Sunday afternoon in Central Otago. Five vehicles had to remain on the road overnight.

Nobody was injured, although the Queenstown Lakes District Council said some vehicles slid off the road.

A message posted to the council's Facebook page reinforced the need for drivers to use chains on the Crown Range.

A "large number of vehicles have been ignoring the advice and trying to get across without them", it said.

An alternative route was available via Cromwell on State Highway 6.

The Crown Range road is described on New Zealand's official travel website as the highest main road in New Zealand, reaching an altitude of 1121 metres.

POWER LOST IN WELLINGTON

Wellington Electricity said a feeder fault cut power to 626 homes in Berhampore, Newtown, Island Bay, Southgate, Petone, Wainuiomata, Owhiro Bay, Houghton Bay, Brooklyn and Aro Valley about 4.45pm on Sunday.

A similar fault also cut power to 772 homes across Pukerua Bay, Kenepuru and Plimmerton.

Power was restored just before 10pm, but some of those affected would have endured a chilly wait for their heat pumps to return.

At 5.45pm the temperature in Wellington was 5 degrees Celsius, but it felt like 1C with wind chill factored in, according to the MetService.

When snow started to fall on the Rimutaka range about 7pm the temperature was 0C.

MORE SNOW ON THE WAY

More parts of the South Island are expected to see snow on Monday, according to the MetService.

On Sunday night, the MetService received reports of snow in the hills around Dunedin, Queenstown, Arrowtown and parts of Central Otago.

The Rimutaka hill, between Upper Hutt and Featherston, also received a light dusting that only lasted a few hours before melting.

Meteorologist Claire Flynn said strong, cold southerlies were expected to dump more significant amounts of snow on the ranges of Otago between Sunday afternoon and Monday night.

A further 10 to 20cm of snow was expected above 1000 metres, with slightly less down to about 600m, she said.

Parts of Canterbury, the Marlborough ranges, Nelson lakes and eastern parts of the South Island should also experience snow falls down to 600m.

Many other parts of the country will also feel winter's bite on Monday with frosts expected in Westland, Nelson, Marlborough, Buller, Wellington, Wairarapa, Hawke's Bay and Gisborne.

"They won't be getting snow, but it'll be chilly when they wake up," Flynn said.

The cooler temperatures were the result of a low off the east coast of the South Island, which was producing south to south-easterly winds.

Another low was forming off the west coast of the South Island, which was expected to bring rain to Nelson, Marlborough and the lower North Island on Monday evening, Flynn said.

"There's a lot of weather going on at the moment."