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Back-to-back weekends of snow for the resorts

Craig McIntosh, Saturday June 30, 2018 - 13:14 AEST

A cold front is currently delivering snow amid some blizzard conditions to the alpine resorts, with another, possibly snowier, front due late next week.

Around 5-10cm of snow is likely to fall over the ski resorts of New South Wales and Victoria on Saturday, with a little less, amongst some rain, over the Tasmanian Highlands. The snow is falling alongside very strong winds generated by the front, resulting in blizzards at times.

Following this current frontal system, skies will clear quickly and make for some epic days on the slopes. Daytimes will be mostly sunny until at least Tuesday next week, with nights extremely cold, allowing the snow making machines to hit top gear.

The next front, which should cross the WA coast on Monday morning, is expected to bring much better snowfalls by the time it reaches the southeast. Models are showing this next front to absorb a lot of tropical moisture from the Indian Ocean on its way to crossing land, which is perfect for snow as long as the temperatures are cold enough. Fortunately for skiers and boarders, a nice pool of cold air is accompanying the wet front, albeit after some usual pre-frontal warmth.

Once we get the bit of rain out of the way on Thursday, and maybe early Friday, it looks like there will be plenty of snowflakes to go round. Saturday is currently forecast as the day for the most snow, but don't be surprised if the front slows down and Sunday takes the reign. Sunday would also be better timing for the upper cold air pool to link with the precipitation.

There is a good chance many resorts will have a base well over a metre following the two cold fronts, most likely those in New South Wales and Victoria, due to their higher elevation.

- Weatherzone

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A very wet weekend for southeast Qld, northeast NSW

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