15 hours ago
Skiers hail 'fair dinkum snowstorm' as states shiver
Skiing enthusiasts have enjoyed the "day of the season" after icy-cold weather delivered a massive dump of snow.
Bumper falls brought snow to major skiing locations, with heavy falls recorded in four Australian jurisdictions.
Two of Victoria's major peaks - Mt Buller and Mt Hotham - each got at least 30cm of fresh snow heading into Wednesday, with gorgeous conditions on offer for skiers in those areas.
Mt Hotham marketing manager Emily Smith said a strong weekend and an even better school holidays were predicted, a far cry from a dull 2024 season.
"It's amazing up here. It's definitely the best day of the season with over 30cm of snow since 2pm on Tuesday," she told AAP.
"It's great conditions and everyone is up here having a good time ... it sets us up for a really, really strong June."
Mountainwatch's meteorologist The Grasshopper said snow would continue through to Wednesday evening, with 24-hour totals at around 30-50cm in NSW and 20-40cm in Victoria.
"We've got a fair dinkum snowstorm out there, folks," The Grasshopper said.
"After copping a beating from all that wind and rain the last couple of days, it all finally turned to snow later on Tuesday, and we've had solid snowfall throughout the night."
The only thing dampening the mood in NSW's Perisher and Thredbo resorts was strong winds, forcing chairlifts to be put on hold.
"If you woke up in Thredbo this morning and thought you were dreaming - you're not alone," Thredbo posted on its blog.
"More than 30cm of fresh snow fell overnight (into Wednesday), transforming the village into a true winter wonderland and setting the resort up for an absolutely unforgettable weekend in the mountains."
Falls have also been recorded in the ACT and Tasmania, whose Ben Lomond Alpine Resort posted on social media that its mountain was "absolutely coated in fresh snow".
The winds topped 115km/h in the Illawarra, south of Sydney, with the SES reporting several schools, medical facilities and properties suffered damage to roofs, fencing and sheds.
About 600 calls were received from midnight to Wednesday afternoon.
