Snow engulfs Victorian towns as Melbourne braces for coldest four-day spell since 1996, Australia

A blast of Antarctic air is moving over Victoria, Australia, this week, which has already brought snow to several towns. Meanwhile, Melbourne is forecast to shiver through its coldest four-day spell in 24 years as temperatures could even get cold enough for snow to reach some of the hills around the city.

Very cold air from the Antarctic is bringing showers, hail, snow, and gusty winds to Victoria's southern and mountainous areas, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). 

Residents in the state woke up to a dusting of snow Monday morning, August 3, including Snake Valley near Ballarat, Colac, and Otway Ranges. Several warnings are currently in place, including a severe weather warning for damaging winds.

In Ferny Creek in the Dandenong Ranges, people shivered through an icy morning with temperatures of -1 °C (30.2 °F).

The cold blast is forecast to result in a coldest four-day spell in Melbourne since 1996.

"A mass of cold air passing over Victoria this week will keep Melbourne's maximum temperatures a few degrees below average for several days in a row," said Weatherzone's Ben Domensino.

"Outside central Melbourne, temperatures could even get cold enough for snow to fall on some of the hills around the city."

"In Melbourne, temperatures are only forecast to reach 11 to 12 °C (51.8 to 53.6 °F) degrees each day between Tuesday and Friday (August 4 to 7)," Domensino added.

On the weekend, temperatures will climb slightly higher as warmer air returns to Victoria.

Featured image credit: BOM Victoria

Related articles

• Severe storm hits Victoria leaving a trail of destruction, 2 people dead and more than 200 000 homes without power, Australia Friday, June 11, 2021
• Parts of southeast Australia shiver through coldest May mornings on record Tuesday, June 1, 2021
• Widespread flooding after a year’s worth of rain in just three days, South Australia Monday, January 24, 2022
• Widespread damaging and locally destructive winds, including potentially multiple small and fast-moving tornadoes hit South Australia Monday, July 26, 2021
• Wettest spring since 2010 and the wettest November since records began in 1900, Australia Wednesday, December 1, 2021
• Unseasonably heavy rain hits Queensland, Australia Wednesday, May 11, 2022
• Unprecedented flooding continues, very dangerous thunderstorms with giant hail, destructive winds and heavy rain forecast for SE Queensland, Australia Thursday, March 3, 2022
• Tropical Cyclone “Tiffany” to make landfall over the far north Queensland, Australia Sunday, January 9, 2022
• Tropical Cyclone “Anika” forecast to re-intensify, make another landfall in Western Australia Monday, February 28, 2022
• Tropical Cyclone “Anika” forecast to make landfall over the northern Kimberley coast, Western Australia Saturday, February 26, 2022
• Rare M5.9 earthquake hits near Melbourne, Australia Wednesday, September 22, 2021
• Phenomenal rainfall totals hit parts of Australia, residents urged to brace for more rain and potential flooding Wednesday, November 10, 2021