A cold weather system has brought snow to alpine regions of Victoria and unseasonably low temperatures, including snowfall, to parts of New South Wales (NSW).
Victoria: Snowfall in Alpine Regions
Snow fell overnight across Victoria's alpine peaks. Mt Baw Baw recorded 15 cm of snow, while Mt Buller recorded at least 7 cm. Temperatures dropped to -5.4°C at Falls Creek. Motorists have been advised to fit chains and drive cautiously due to icy roads.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Mary Smith stated that snow had fallen to lower elevations than usual. Snow in May is not unprecedented in the region. Residents of Wulgulmerang (elevation 1,050 m) reported snow on treetops.
New South Wales: Unseasonable March Snow and Cold
Snow was also reported in parts of NSW during March. The cold weather resulted from a polar air mass, originating near the Antarctic coastline approximately three days prior, crossing south-east Australia in conjunction with the rapid development of an intense low-pressure system off the NSW coast.
The system caused maximum temperatures to drop over 10 degrees Celsius below average in NSW, south-west Queensland, and eastern Victoria.
Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecasters indicated that some locations in southern NSW could experience their coldest March day on record.
Snowfall and Temperature Observations
- Snowfall was observed down to approximately 1,400 meters.
- Residents in regions such as Orange and Millthorpe observed snow on their properties.
- 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.
- Maximum temperatures recorded by 1 PM included:
- Sydney at 16C
- Canberra at 12C
- Orange at 6C
- Goulburn at 9C
- Cooma at 8C
- Dubbo at 12C
Rainfall and Forecast
The weather system also delivered rainfall to the state's south-east, including 62mm at Nerriga and 51mm at Braidwood. This marked Braidwood's heaviest rainfall since July.
While snow activity has subsided and is now concentrated in higher alpine regions, cool southerly winds are projected to maintain below-average March temperatures, including minimums below 10C across much of the inland, into the following day.