Rain and cold temperatures are on the cards for Tauranga this weekend as a low lingering over the North Island makes for a classic wintry weekend.

MetService media and communications meteorologist Dan Corbett says tomorrow in particular will feel bone chilling, with strong or gale force winds in many places, rapidly rising seas, rain and snow to low-ish levels.

Ice on the Desert Road. Photo by Matt Rossiter.

The MetService is predicting rain for Tauranga both today and tomorrow with sunshine expected to creep across the city on Monday.

Today's daily high is expected to reach 14 degrees and drop to around 6 degrees overnight.

Tomorrow is looking cooler, with the daily high still sitting around 14 degrees but the MetService is predicting temperatures to plummet to 2 degrees tomorrow night.

Dan says plummeting snow levels will be contributing to the cold weather and will also make travelling around New Zealand challenging.

The NZ Transport Agency reports there are no road closures due to snow but is advising motorists to drive carefully on the Desert Road.