Winter blast dumps snow on Victorian alps
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Key points
- Cold weather has brought dumps of snow to alpine resorts across Victoria.
- More snow is set to return later in the week.
- Melbourne received 10 millimetres of rain overnight.
Victoria’s High Country is set to become a winter wonderland this week as a cold front dumps snow on alpine resorts and dusts it over areas at lower altitude.
Melbourne received about 10 millimetres of rain overnight, while between 10 centimetres and 20 centimetres of snow fell at alpine resorts in the 24 hours to noon on Monday.
Snow at Mount Buller on Monday morning.
The outlook is encouraging for skiers but not for Melbourne’s city dwellers, who will have to wait until Saturday for the maximum temperature to climb above 12 degrees.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Michael Efron said, with another 10 centimetres to 20 centimetres of snow expected by the end of Monday.
“It’s a decent snowfall for the resorts given we did have relatively mild conditions there a week or so back,” he said. “This is very much welcome news for the resorts.”
Efron said more cold weather increased the likelihood of further snow as low as 700 metres, with some snowfall possible in the Grampians and Macedon Ranges this week.
The cold weather is set to continue while the rain eases in Melbourne. Showers are forecast for Tuesday with a cold and cloudy start to the day at 5 degrees and a top of 12 degrees. There will be another cold morning on Wednesday with a low of 4 degrees and high of 12 degrees.
Wednesday will have a top forecast temperature of 12 degrees while the showers return on Thursday.
Efron said there could be between five and 15 centimetres of snow at alpine resorts on Thursday and up to 10 centimetres on Friday.
He said temperatures would also be cold enough to operate snowmaking equipment that helps bolster natural snowfall.
Children playing in the snow at Mount Buller on Sunday. Credit: Mt Buller & Mt Stirling – Destination Marketing.
Mount Buller and Mount Stirling Alpine Resort Management chief executive Mark Bennetts said three lifts were operating at Buller, but more would soon open as snowfall increased.
“About 7.30 this morning it started to snow, and it hasn’t stopped,” he said.
A snowball from machine-made snow at Mount Buller.Credit: Joe Armao
Bennetts said the snow was falling just in time for the school holidays.
“I’m anticipating, with the start of the school holidays, all resorts will have heavy bookings,” he said. “We’re expecting this snow will hold very well.”
However, Bennetts said it was crucial that anybody travelling to alpine resorts fitted chains to their car wheels properly. He said two cars had already ended up in ditches so far this ski season.
On Sunday, a Falls Creek resort management marketing co-ordinator said 10 centimetres had fallen overnight.
At Mount Hotham, the resort confirmed 12 centimetres had fallen overnight on Sunday and snow guns were firing in the cold weather.
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