A cold front is set to bring bitter winds and rain to the southeast coast and South Australia over the weekend, accompanied by heavy snowfalls in ski resorts.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) forecasts strong, gusty, and potentially damaging winds, showers, local thunderstorms, and abnormally high tides.
Severe weather warnings are in place for damaging winds in the ACT, South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales, including areas like Adelaide, Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island, and the Snowy Mountains.
Jonathan How, a senior meteorologist at the BoM, described the coming days as “the windiest South Australia has seen for quite some time.”
A bitter cold front sweeps across Australia, sparking warnings and delivering much-needed snow to mountains.The cold front, which crossed Western Australia on Thursday, is now moving east, bringing with it the most significant snowfall of the year just as the school holidays come to a close.
Ski resorts in Hotham, Falls Creek, Thredbo, and Perisher are expected to see between 30cm and 60cm of snow by Monday morning.
However, the strong winds will make temperatures feel colder than forecasted, and conditions for skiing or snowboarding will be challenging, with lifts likely to be closed or on wind hold. Backcountry travel is strongly discouraged due to the dangerous conditions.
While rainfall totals may not be substantial, residents in flood-affected areas of Victoria are advised to stay vigilant, as creeks and rivers could rise quickly.
With snow expected to fall across central Victoria and the Grampians, and even as far as Ballarat, this weekend is shaping up to be a mix of wild weather and exciting snowfalls, albeit under challenging conditions.