The strongest cold front so far this year has swept across south-east Australia during the last 24 hours, generating gale-force winds and snow to low levels.<\/p>\n
The air mass behind the front originated near the Antarctic coastline about 72 hours ago, leading to snowfalls overnight well below 1,000 metres elevation.<\/p>\n
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Five to 10 centimetres of snow fell on Mt Canobolas near Orange, creating a winter playground. (ABC Central West)<\/p>\n
This has resulted in a dusting of snow across dozens of towns along the NSW ranges, from the Monaro in the south to the Central Ranges west of Sydney.<\/p>\n
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Snow began to fall on the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, in the early hours of the morning.<\/p>\n
A light dusting covered rooftops and branches at Mount Victoria, 1,043m above sea level.<\/p>\n
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Mount Victoria Post Office in the NSW Blue Mountains with a light dusting of snow. (ABC News: Alex Lewis)<\/p>\n
Flakes drifted through the windy streets of Blackheath, 1,066m above sea level, as the Sun rose.<\/p>\n
At 6am, the temperature at the Mount Boyce weather station nearby was minus 0.1 degrees Celsius, but the apparent temperature \u2014 factoring in wind chill and humidity \u2014 was minus 9.3C.<\/p>\n
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Residents in Orange woke to find their cars covered in snow. (ABC Central West)<\/p>\n
Residents across the central west, including Oberon and Crookwell, woke to a blanket of white, with Orange experiencing its most significant snowfall in four years.<\/p>\n
Roads have been impacted by several centimetres of snowfall, including those up Mt Canobolas, which have been closed.<\/p>\n
In the Victorian ski fields, Mt Hotham recorded 128km\/h wind gusts on Friday afternoon, while wind gusts of 124km\/h were recorded at Mt Buller.<\/p>\n
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Dinner Plain in Victoria recorded more than 40cm of snow overnight. (ABC News: Sarah Krieg)<\/p>\n
ABC Goulburn Murray’s Sarah Krieg in Dinner Plain in the Alpine National Park recorded more than 40cm of snow out her window this morning.<\/p>\n
The alpine region, including the higher parts of the ACT, have also been blanketed in snow, including well over half a metre of fresh falls across Thredbo and Perisher since the storm commenced on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
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Snow on the Brindabella Range down low near the city centre of Tuggeranong in the ACT. (Supplied: Andrew Buesnel)<\/p>\n
Where is it snowing?<\/p>\n
The Bureau of Meteorology is reporting 30-40 centimetres over the alpine area across:<\/p>\n
The ACTNew South WalesTasmania\u00a0Victoria\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was snowfall across the Central Tablelands, Snowy Monaro and the upper Blue Mountains in New South Wales.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Waratah, north-west Tasmania is just 609 metres above sea level, but there was no bouncing on the trampoline this morning. (Supplied: Judith Summers)<\/p>\n
In Tasmania, snow fell as low as 600m above sea level.<\/p>\n
It has stopped snowing in lower areas, according to BOM senior meteorologist Sarah Scully.<\/p>\n
However, she said there still could be snow flurries across NSW, Victoria and Tasmania.<\/p>\n
Areas of Namadgi National Park in the ACT are still cloaked in white.<\/p>\n
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Snow blanketed areas of Namadgi National Park near Canberra. (Supplied: Nushan Perera)<\/p>\n