Cold blast brings springtime snow to alpine regions as temperatures plummet across Australia’s south-east

Snow covered sections of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania over the weekend as an unusual cold front moved through southeastern Australia, even though forecasters predict warming temperatures and thunderstorms approaching.

Thredbo, Perisher and Mount Hotham reported snowfall on both Saturday and Sunday, and snow also fell on Kunanyi/Mount Wellington near Hobart.

The chilly conditions are not expected to persist for long.

Meteorologist Tristan Sumarna of the BoM said temperatures would begin to rise from Tuesday, with parts of Sydney reaching mid‑20s and even low‑30s by week’s end.

This shift will produce a storm‑like pattern typical of spring in New South Wales, Sumarna told ABC Radio Sydney.

Both Tasmania and Victoria are forecast to enjoy fine weather on Monday, with Melbourne reaching the low 20s by lunchtime and Hobart peaking at 19°C.

The unexpected weekend snowfall sparked a surge of social‑media posts from people surprised by the unseasonal spring weather.

Madeleine McVie, a Thredbo retail manager, posted on Instagram Saturday afternoon, writing, “It’s not just a light dusting—it’s a full‑blown snowfall.”

On Sunday morning, McVie shared another clip showing herself riding empty chairlifts through the park as snow continued to fall.

Tasmania’s Kingston Crows cricket club posted a photo of the Kingston Beach Oval on Saturday, which was covered in hailstones.

The BoM said a weather system carrying cold air from Antarctica had produced the wintry chill, resulting in apparent temperatures well below forecast maximums, while south‑westerly winds further lowered the “feels‑like” temperature.

By midday on Sunday, Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra and Sydney all registered “feels‑like” temperatures below 13 °C.

In contrast, Brisbane, Perth and Darwin experienced weekend temperatures in the 20s and 30s.

This could be one of the final cold snaps of the year, as the BoM, the United Nations and other organisations warn that a powerful, supercharged El Niño is likely to have significant impacts.

The climate crisis, driven by fossil‑fuel pollution, is already amplifying extreme weather and causing loss of life. The El Niño is expected to intensify these effects further, already disrupting weather patterns worldwide.

The southern‑hemisphere summer is forecast to be hotter and drier due to a large El Niño, increasing wildfire risk and drought in Australia and southern Africa.

Source link