Unseasonable Snowfall in New South Wales

Early Autumn Snow Blankets Regions

Snow has been reported in parts of New South Wales (NSW) during the first month of autumn. Temperatures decreased to single digits across south-eastern Australia, with some areas in the Central and Southern Tablelands and Snowy Mountains experiencing temperatures below zero.

Residents in regions such as Orange and Millthorpe observed snow on their properties. A resident at Springside, near Orange, noted that it was the first time snow had fallen on his property in March.

Another resident in Huntley described the weather conditions as resembling winter.

Potential Temperature Records & Snow Details

Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecasters indicated that some locations in southern NSW could experience their coldest March day on record. Snowfall was observed down to approximately 1,400 meters, with potential for falls south of Orange and in the Oberon ranges.

The Mt Canobolas summit, near Orange, was closed after approximately 10 centimeters of snow accumulated on the peak. Temperatures in Orange reached 0.6 degrees Celsius in the morning, with a maximum of 10 degrees forecast for the day.

Meteorological Drivers: Antarctic Air Mass

The cold weather conditions resulted from an unseasonable polar air mass crossing south-east Australia, in conjunction with the rapid development of an intense low-pressure system off the NSW coast. This air mass, which originated near the Antarctic coastline approximately three days prior, caused maximum temperatures to drop over 10 degrees Celsius below average in NSW, south-west Queensland, and eastern Victoria.

Maximum temperatures recorded by 1 PM included Sydney at 16C, Canberra at 12C, Orange at 6C, Goulburn at 9C, Cooma at 8C, and Dubbo at 12C. Several of these readings were close to or potentially surpassed previous March records.

Outlook: Rainfall and Lingering Chill

While snow activity has subsided and is now concentrated in higher alpine regions, the weather system also delivered rainfall to the state's south-east, including 62mm at Nerriga and 51mm at Braidwood, marking Braidwood's heaviest rainfall since July.

Although the polar air mass is expected to move offshore overnight, cool southerly winds are projected to maintain below-average March temperatures, including minimums below 10C across much of the inland, into the following day.