With clear skies over most of Canterbury on Monday May 11th 2009, there was  a good look at the fresh snow that fell the previous day, Sunday (10th May).  Here's the view late Monday morning  (around 10:30am) from NASA's Earth Observing System Terra Satellite,

Fresh snow on the Alps and Canterbury foothills - as @ Monday 11 May 2009. (Image courtesy of MODIS Rapid Response Project at NASA/GSFC.)