Snow has closed part of SH1 north of Dunedin as an icy blast hits the lower South Island.The road was closed between Dunedin and Waitati, north of the city on Monday morning with NZTA asking people to delay their journey or use an alternative route.SH87 from Outram to Middlemarch had also been shut, due to snow and ice between Kyeburn and Palmerston.In Southland, SH94 to Milford Sound was also shut due to snow.Temperatures were due to drop on Monday afternoon and evening, meteorologist Juliane Bergdolt said.Snow could fall down to about 200 metres on SH1 from Dunedin to Waitati Highway, with several centimetres snowfall expected on the highest parts of the road, Bergdolt said on Monday morning.Road snowfall warnings were in place for Lewis, Arthurs and Lindis passes until Monday night, along with the Crown and Milford roads, she said.Lewis Pass on a snowy day . (File photo)123RFFurther north, slips closed SH2 through Waioweka Gorge - a corridor that connects Bay of Plenty to the Gisborne/Tai Rāwhiti regions - in both directions.Contractors were on site but NZTA expected work to take same time.People should delay travel or allow plenty of extra time for long detours either via SH35 or SH5.A very strong west to southwesterly wind was covering southern and central New Zealand on Monday, MetService said, with gales in exposed places.MetService had issued a strong wind warning for Hawke's Bay south of Hastings, and the Tararua District until 7pm on Monday.It said severe gale westerlies could gust up to 120kph in some exposed places, which could cause damage to trees, powerlines and unsecured structures.