SNOW UPDATE – Mid May Snow Is Falling

Heavy snow hit hard in Victoria last night Image:: Courtesy of Falls Creek

Mountainwatch | Alex Horvath

The mercury has dropped and there is a mean looking low spinning away in the Bass Strait! Luckily this system has been able to penetrate North to hit the mountains avoiding the notorious blocking-high pressure cells that often park themselves just a fraction south and send those cold fronts packing leaving us in the lurch, high and dry.

Leading with the good and following with the better; at this point it is looking like the system will deepen even further and it will track eastwards as its central pressure drops to 998 hPa. Precipitation is tipped to land between 20 and 25 cm snow dependant on which resort you happen to look at. Freezing level should be about mid-mountain hovering at about 1400 – 1600 m.

The snow guns are on and the flakes are falling, Perisher prepares Image:: Courtesy of Perisher Media

“The numbers look legit and the models appear in good alignment, so it’s going to snow and I think it will get to 1400 quite easily.” Said The Grasshopper when quizzed about this week’s weather event.”What I like most about this weather forecast is that it’s staying cool after this week’s snow has fallen, so we’re not going to lose it all in a big rush and there are signs of another small snow event in the middle of next week. That means there’s hope that at higher elevations some of that snow might actually be able to hold on until reinforcements arrive in a few weeks.”

About 10 minutes before writing this caption it started dumping to the valley in Thredbo Image:: Courtesy of Thredbo

The Grasshopper’s Daily snow forecasts will return Monday 27 May for 2013. In the meantime read the latest season outlooks – Australia and New Zealand.

Perisher forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.

Falls Creek forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.

Mount Buller forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.

Hotham forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.

Thredbo forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.