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Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Incredible pictures show Aussie towns blanketed in snow as millions issued stark warning
A powerful polar blast has delivered a shivering start to winter across Australia's southeast, dumping snow on alpine regions and sweeping icy winds as far north as Queensland, while coating parts of regional New South Wales and Victoria in white. Pictures emerging from regions like Cooma and Canberra show cars buried, fields dusted in snow, and roads turned to ski runs. Thredbo and Perisher have recorded upwards of 40cm of fresh snow — some of the most significant early-season falls in recent years — as freezing air rushed in from the Southern Ocean. In NSW, snowfalls were reported across the Central Tablelands, Blue Mountains, and Snowy Mountains, with residents waking to scenes more typical of Scandinavia than regional Australia. "It's absolutely dumping," one Perisher local said. "We've had around 45cm already and it's still going." In Cooma, locals shared extraordinary footage showing rooftops and front lawns blanketed in snow. "This is the most I've seen fall here in years," one resident posted online. In Orange, snow fell across Sunday and into Monday morning, with locals sharing videos of flurries drifting through town. The Snowy Mountains lived up to their name, with conditions turning treacherous for two hikers near Mt Kosciuszko, who became trapped in whiteout blizzard conditions on Saturday. The 31-year-old man and 28-year-old woman activated an emergency beacon, prompting a major rescue operation. "Due to the weather, including low visibility, a helicopter was unable to reach the pair," NSW Police said. "Officers from the Alpine Operations Unit hiked into the location and reached the man and woman about 10.40pm." The pair were brought to safety around 4am Sunday, both uninjured. The ACT has also been swept up in the chill, with Canberra facing gusty winds, sleet and a maximum of just 8 degrees on Monday. Wind chill made it feel far colder, with apparent temperatures hovering close to zero in exposed areas throughout the day. A very cold start to the morning as snow falls over the hills of 9th June 2025 8.00am#canberra #snow #ACT #Australia #winter — Timothy Dean Photographer (@TimothyDeanAU) June 8, 2025 Police have reminded the public to drive cautiously on icy roads. "With recent heavy snowfalls impacting these roads, drivers need to be prepared for changing conditions. Please ensure your vehicle is roadworthy and well equipped with extra supplies should you become stranded in snowy conditions, as help can often be a long way away," NSW Highway Patrol said. People driving in the Snowy Mountains are required to carry chains and fit them when directed. Icy blast and snow hit one state 'Treacherous': Six trapped in snow for days Road warning over King's Birthday long weekend amid wild weather Further south, Victoria copped a full-force blast of wintry weather, with more than 50cm of snow falling at Mt Hotham and motorists caught off guard. Six people remain stranded after becoming trapped in their vehicles by heavy snowfall on Saturday night. At around 10.50pm, approximately 20 travellers were caught out by the snow while driving along the Blue Rag Range Track at Mount Hotham. The group was forced to spend the night in their cars as conditions worsened. By Sunday, Victoria Police and State Emergency Service (SES) crews had managed to rescue 13 of them. Amid the difficult conditions, a man in his 40s sustained injuries when his vehicle rolled. A fire truck that had been sent to assist also became bogged down in the snow. The remaining six people were unable to be rescued and had to endure temperatures that dropped to -4.3° degrees overnight. SES Regional Duty Officer James Boler described the rescue conditions as "pretty treacherous." Our VICSES Bright and Falls Creek Unit volunteers are currently assisting @VictoriaPolice with the rescue of more than 20 people stuck in their vehicles near Hotham Heights, following more than 50cm of snowfall in the area over the weekend (1/3) — VICSES News (@vicsesnews) June 8, 2025 Meanwhile, the sudden dump has kicked off a bumper start to the ski season, with Thredbo opening for skiing and launching its winter festivities. Visitors flooded the alpine village for the weekend, despite road warnings and icy conditions. "The vibe has been electric," a Thredbo spokesperson said. "It's been a dream opening weekend with fresh snow, music, and après ski events." Weather warnings remain in place across higher parts of southeastern Australia as the system continues to push through, bringing strong winds, freezing overnight lows and dangerous driving conditions. Authorities are urging anyone heading to alpine or elevated areas to plan ahead. "Be prepared for extreme conditions. Fill out a trip intention form, carry a personal locator beacon, and check the forecast before heading out," NSW Police warned. Despite the cold, many Australians are embracing the change of pace, particularly after years of inconsistent snow seasons. As the snap continues to sweep the country's southeast, more snow is forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday in alpine regions, while cities like Sydney and Melbourne will feel the chill with strong southwesterly winds and icy nights. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Climate
- News.com.au
‘Absolutely dumping': More than 40cm of snow kickstarts NSW ski season
Ski resorts across the NSW Snowy Mountains have been blanketed by a whopping 45cm of snow, in a strong start to the official ski season. Perisher ski resort recorded 25cm of fresh snow falling overnight and continuing to fall, bringing the long-weekend total to 45cm. More snow was expected to fall on Sunday across the range, with a north-westerly wind and temperatures topping only -1C. The snowfall comes at a welcome time for the ski resorts after a difficult few years, with Perisher posting on social media that Saturday night was an 'absolutely dumping'. The Bureau of Meteorology was reporting snowfall in the Australian Alps on Sunday above 900m as a high in Western Australia brought strong winds to north NSW. Meanwhile, a cold front was sweeping across southern NSW, with several more fronts expected to follow before a high-pressure ridge settles over NSW next week. The early season dusting was quick to light up social media, with people commenting that it was an 'amazing weekend' and a 'great start' to the ski season. Thredbo ski resort was forecasting a high chance of snow on Monday, with Sunday's dusting having blanketed the ski fields nestled into Mt Kosciuszko. Across the border, Mt Hotham resort reported a whopping 51cm of snow so far a storm there, with 32cm falling in the past 24 hours. Snow was still lightly falling at the resort on Sunday morning, with the temperature dipping to a frigid -3C. The NSW snow season ended earlier for the second year in a row in 2024 after one of the warmest winters on record. The Bureau reported above average winter mean temperatures across the state, in particular in the south and parts of the east coast.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Shock start to ski season amid polar blast
Ski resorts across the NSW Snowy Mountains have been blanketed by a whopping 45cm of snow, in a strong start to the official ski season. Perisher ski resort recorded 25cm of fresh snow falling overnight and continuing to fall, bringing the long-weekend total to 45cm. More snow was expected to fall on Sunday across the range, with a north-westerly wind and temperatures topping only -1C. The snowfall comes at a welcome time for the ski resorts after a difficult few years, with Perisher posting on social media that Saturday night was an 'absolutely dumping'. The Bureau of Meteorology was reporting snowfall in the Australian Alps on Sunday above 900m as a high in Western Australia brought strong winds to north NSW. Meanwhile, a cold front was sweeping across southern NSW, with several more fronts expected to follow before a high-pressure ridge settles over NSW next week. The early season dusting was quick to light up social media, with people commenting that it was an 'amazing weekend' and a 'great start' to the ski season. Thredbo ski resort was forecasting a high chance of snow on Monday, with Sunday's dusting having blanketed the ski fields nestled into Mt Kosciuszko. Across the border, Mt Hotham resort reported a whopping 51cm of snow so far a storm there, with 32cm falling in the past 24 hours. Snow was still lightly falling at the resort on Sunday morning, with the temperature dipping to a frigid -3C. The NSW snow season ended earlier for the second year in a row in 2024 after one of the warmest winters on record. The Bureau reported above average winter mean temperatures across the state, in particular in the south and parts of the east coast.
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Climate
- News.com.au
Huge start to Australia ski season as snow dumped on NSW, Victoria
Australia's snow resorts have seen a bumper start to the season as a cold front sweeps through the country's south east, sending temperatures and powder plummeting. Blizzard conditions have hit ski fields in NSW and Victoria over the weekend, bringing the biggest start to the snow season in years. In one clip shared by Hotham Alpine Resort in Victoria, a man can be seen wading through knee-high snow after a massive dump. '51cm storm total,' the resort wrote on social media. 'We're not skipping leg day at Hotham!' In NSW, Thredbo is reporting 26cm on the ground and Perisher's live snow cam shows a peak of around 35cm. 'And just like that, winter 2025 is here!' Thredbo wrote in a post. 'Snow is falling and there's over 50cm in the forecast … let's GO!' Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Jonathon How said overnight snowfall marks being reported included 25cm at Perisher, 32cm at Hotham, 26cm at Buller and 37cm at Falls Creek. 'So really, really big numbers,' he said. Mr How said Perisher, Thredbo and Charlotte Pass could see another 10 to 20cm on Sunday. 'We've got a couple more centimetres to come in Victoria and pretty much anywhere above about 900m will get snow today across the alpine areas.' He said snow was also expected to fall in new areas west of Sydney on Sunday, including parts of the Blue Mountains and Central Tablelands. 'And so we're expecting snow at Oberon. Even orange could get some flurries this afternoon and evening at some of the hills around Lithgow. 'So the snow level (will be) falling to around 800m tonight across the central tablelands.' Colleague Dean Narramore, from the Bureau, said on Saturday that the south east could expect days of low temperatures and heavy snow dumps in Alpine areas. 'Where this cold front has come from, and where it's dragging the air from, is actually well south of Australia,' he said. 'And that's why we're going to see temperatures drop three to give degrees, and daytime highs might not even break out of the single figures in the south east of Australia as we move through Sunday and Monday.' A low pressure system developing off the coast of Victoria would also bring windy conditions and rain, which would fall as snow in the Alpine areas, he said. Weatherzone's Anthony Sharwood predicted on Friday that there could be as much as 70cm of snow falling at high resorts by Tuesday, and up to 30cm at lower resorts.
