Polar winds trigger rare snowfall across southeast Australia
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Pictures of snowy towns and landscapes across New South Wales (NSW), Victoria, the Australia Capital Territory and the island state of Tasmania flooded social media as locals rushed to capture the surprise early spring snowfall.
Antarctic air reaching Australia's south east triggered snowfall down to low altitudes across several states on Saturday, with many people out enjoying the rare event despite wild winds and heavy snow that closed some roads.
Pictures of snowy towns and landscapes across New South Wales (NSW), Victoria, the Australia Capital Territory and the island state of Tasmania flooded social media as locals rushed to capture the surprise early spring snowfall.
Does it normally snow in Australia in August? Seems odd… https://t.co/EYHOqYj2kh
— Michael Moran (@TheMichaelMoran) August 22, 2020
According to the NSW Bureau of Meteorology, Australia’s capital city of Canberra is set to experience its “coldest day” of the year.
Over one metre (3.3 feet) of snow had fallen in a number of alpine regions, and the cold weather would likely remain for several days, the bureau said.
#Snow has made for some beautiful scenes at #MtMacedon this morning. ❄️ These wintry conditions are set to hang around for #Vic and #NSW all weekend. Is there more snow on the way for you? You can find out by using https://t.co/CX9zhCmju3. pic.twitter.com/gmuicINPyM
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) August 21, 2020
The wintry blast caused temperatures to fall overnight to as low as 2 Degree Celsius in Victoria and 3.8 Degree Celsius in Melbourne.
The sudden snowfall in the east coast has been caused by an ‘Antarctic blob’, a strong and powerful weather system, which has also brought icy winds, thunder and hail to elevated areas in the region.
The blizzard-like conditions prompted local authorities to close several roads across New South Wales’ Central West and Southern Highlands.