Overview

• The Bureau of Meteorology expects successive fronts to peak Friday and Saturday, with alpine snowfall of roughly 50–80 cm and local falls near 1 metre.
• Forecast snow levels near 300 m in Tasmania, 600 m in Victoria and 700 m in NSW could bring flurries to places like Orange, Bathurst and the Mount Lofty Ranges.
• State Emergency Services have issued severe-weather warnings as authorities urge preparations and caution on potentially treacherous roads.
• Wind gusts have already reached 128 km/h at alpine sites and forced lift closures, with further gale-force conditions anticipated across NSW and Victoria.
• A stark temperature split is developing, with alpine maximums near -4°C through Saturday while parts of northern Australia approach 40°C, and the first surge has already delivered heavy alpine rain at Perisher.