Polar air from Antarctica is surging towards south-east Australia, bringing gusty winds, showers and low-level snow. While midwinter cold outbreaks are typical, the subsequent weather is nothing short of bizarre.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
A strong high-pressure system is forecast to stall near Tasmania by Monday, a very unusual position for July, which will reverse the direction of prevailing winter winds and result in another extended spell of wet days along the east coast, prolonged icy weather across the interior and south, and possibly culminate in a major inland rain event towards next weekend.
The intrusion of polar air into the mid-latitudes has generated a powerful cold front on its leading edge, whose passage over South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania will bring showers, gusty winds and alpine snow through Saturday.
After milder weather during the past few days, the front’s arrival will cause temperatures to drop, including maximums of 12C in Adelaide and Melbourne on Saturday, then on Sunday just 9C in Hobart and Canberra, and 15C in Sydney.
Sydney could potentially see close to 100mm and Brisbane 50mm, nearly a month’s worth of rain, continuing the 2024 trend where our east coast capitals’ rainfall has far exceeded the southern states.
Adelaide is predicted by the Bureau of Meteorology to have both minimums and maximums below average until at least Thursday, while Melbourne shivers down to a frosty 1C on Wednesday morning, the city’s coldest temperature in two years.
The current all-time air pressure record in Australia is 1044hPa, observed at Launceston Airport on June 7, 1967, a figure which could be challenged if the high’s centre drifts directly over Tasmania.
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Baku@aussie.zone 4 months ago
I’ve still never seen real snow in person. I have seen fake snow once, but it’s not quite the same
Ilandar@aussie.zone 4 months ago
Make the effort to see it at least once in your life. Real snowfall is pretty magical for those of us who live in different environments.
Baku@aussie.zone 4 months ago
I’d like to move to Sweden one day, that’s probably the soonest I’ll be seeing snow
wscholermann@aussie.zone 4 months ago
When the snow is dry and powdery in texture it’s pretty cool. But it’s one of those things where you see it once you don’t need to see it again.