Angus Hines Says Victoria Weather Brought Snow to 400m
Victoria weather turned wintry this week as a cold front moved across south-eastern Australia and snow fell to around 400m in altitude. Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Angus Hines said people in parts of Victoria woke to a winter dusting, with some areas getting an uncommon dump of snow.
The same system brought chilly conditions to Tasmania, southern New South Wales, the ACT and parts of South Australia, with temperatures about 2C to 8C below average. On the mountains, Mt Buller said Thursday was the first day its snow guns had produced results after weeks of testing.
Mt Buller and the snow guns
A Mt Buller spokesperson said the resort had been testing its snow guns for weeks before Thursday’s cold snap made them work. “Today’s the first day it’s been -5C, so that water’s coming out as snow,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the sudden shift was noticeable on the ground. “We were wearing shorts a week ago... then it’s proper winter this week and we’re all in our full ski gear,” the spokesperson said. “That’s the thing that’s kind of really caught people’s attention.”
Victoria, Thredbo and Selwyn
Mt Hotham, Falls Creek, Thredbo and Selwyn also showed their snow guns in action on social media as the cold front moved through the south-east. Hines said the snowfall in Victoria reached lower levels than many people would expect, with snow falling to around 400m in altitude.
He said the temperatures in Victoria, Tasmania, southern New South Wales, the ACT and parts of South Australia were running 2C to 8C below average. The Bureau of Meteorology said the rest of the country could expect average temperatures.
Sydney's Friday forecast
The cold outbreak had a separate effect in Sydney, where the forecast for Friday was a low of 9C and a high of 21C. The forecast then called for 11C and 22C on Saturday, followed by 11C and 23C on Sunday.
For skiers and snowboarders, the early snow and the first working snow guns point to a stronger start than the bare hills seen a week earlier. For everyone else, the practical change is simpler: a broad south-eastern cold snap has already arrived, and the high country is the part of Victoria most likely to keep showing it first.
