Southern motorists warned to be careful as snow and flooding hit highways

State highways in the lower South Island are being hit by flooding and snowfall as a cold front passes through the area.Roading crews have been assessing snow and using grit trucks on State Highway 6 between Lowther and Parawa in Southland.Surface flooding has been reported in places across State Highways 96 and 99, as well as on State Highway 1 in central Dunedin.The NZ Transport Agency said no closures or restrictions were currently in place, but motorists should drive to the conditions.MetService has road snowfall warnings in place for South Island alpine passes from today through to tomorrow.A heavy snow watch is in force covering Central Otago, Queenstown Lakes District and the Mackenzie Basin until the early hours tomorrow.There is also a heavy rain watch in place for the ranges of Westland, with more heavy rain expected to hit the Buller District from later tonight.