Canterbury families planning the first weekend of the school holidays may want to make the most of Saturday, with a colder, wetter Sunday on the way.

MetService meteorologist John Law told chrislynchmedia.com the weekend would be “a weekend of two halves”.

Saturday should be mostly dry after a chance of early morning rain, with temperatures reaching about 20°C in Christchurch. Northwesterly winds could strengthen, particularly in the Canterbury high country.

“Saturday is the one I’m going for” if there are outdoor jobs to do, Law said.

Sunday is expected to be wetter, windier and colder, with a high of about 13°C. The colder weather could also bring snow to higher mountain passes.

Law said people travelling across the mountains for the school holidays should check the latest road snowfall watches and warnings before setting out on Sunday.

The outlook improves as the first week of the holidays gets under way. High pressure moving towards the country should bring mostly fine, dry weather to Christchurch and Canterbury, with cloud and sunshine at times.

Daytime temperatures are expected to reach the high teens and could edge towards 20°C by the end of the week.

Law said Sunday looked better suited to indoor activities, but there should be plenty of opportunities to get outside during the week ahead.