Australia's southeastern regions are set to experience a significant winter chill this weekend as a strong cold front advances from the Great Australian Bight. The system is expected to bring freezing temperatures and snow to the Australian Alps, a welcome development for ski resorts after a mild start to July.
Weatherzone forecasts indicate that frigid polar air will move across Tasmania on Saturday, with snow possible as low as 400 meters above sea level in the state's south. This could even bring a dusting to the highest suburbs of Hobart. In Victoria's northeast ranges, a severe weather warning has been issued for damaging winds, with gusts up to 100 km/h and blizzard conditions anticipated.
Ski fields in Victoria and New South Wales are anticipating substantial snowfalls from Thursday. Perisher resort reported a snowstorm on Thursday morning, with Thredbo receiving 4 cm of snow. Approximately 20 centimeters of snow are expected to fall across the Australian Alps from Friday into the weekend, with snow levels potentially dropping to around 1000 meters above sea level on the mainland.
This snowfall offers relief to the ski industry, as several NSW ski resorts entered the second month of winter with zero centimeters of official snow depth, a rare occurrence in recent history. For other parts of the country, Sydney will see a sunny start to the weekend before rain returns Sunday. Melbourne is forecast to reach a maximum of 14 degrees Celsius, while Canberra will likely see a high of 12 degrees Celsius. Adelaide can expect a wet start to the weekend with temperatures in the mid-teens.
The cold snap follows a period of unseasonably warm weather in June along the east coast, with Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra recording temperatures above their long-term averages. The current weather system is expected to bring the coldest air mass of the season to parts of the southeast.