Residents in the Blue Mountains woke to a blanket of snow on Wednesday morning as a cold front moved through New South Wales.
The icy conditions brought thunderstorms, rain and snow in higher parts of the NSW tablelands and north-east on Tuesday, while a “cold blast” swept the rest of the state.
Temperatures down to –2C in parts of Sydney on Wednesday brought major road disruptions. The Great Western Highway was closed to all traffic between Sydney and Lithgow because of black ice and hazardous conditions, while Bells Line of Road at Scenic Hill was also shut in both directions.
Temperatures this morning below 0°C in many locations in the wake of a cold front. There was a dusting of snow along the ranges but today should be sunny for most regions. Daytime temperatures well below average with dry air to help the chill. Warnings https://t.co/Ss766eSCrL pic.twitter.com/kr9tK3NTgS
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) August 23, 2022
The Bureau of Meteorology projected the low-pressure system off the northern coast of NSW would strengthen later on Wednesday before moving to the south-east on Thursday morning.
“The cold front that brought widespread light rain, snow and frost has now moved over the Tasman Sea and formed a low pressure system off the NSW coast,” the BoM said.
“There was a dusting of snow along the ranges but today should be sunny for most regions.”
Brrrrrr! What’s it like at your place this morning?
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) August 23, 2022
Many areas are waking up to a winter wonderland thanks to snow overnight, as these pics from NSW RFS - Katoomba/Leura Brigade show.
Many roads are affected by snow and ice so take it easy. #nswrfs pic.twitter.com/3x5bzp5Q8a
Icy winds were projected to continue on Wednesday and Thursday, with a gale wind warning in place for the Sydney, Illawarra, Hunter, Macquarie and Coffs coastal regions throughout Wednesday.
Strong winds were expected at the Byron, Batemans and Eden coastal areas, while a severe weather warning was in place for Lord Howe Island.
The NSW police force advised anyone on the Sydney, Illawarra, Byron, Coffs, Macquarie and Hunter Coast to remain out of the wind and avoid walking near surf-exposed areas amid dangerous conditions.
“Surf and swell conditions are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities such as rock fishing, boating, and swimming,” the BoM warned.
“Cold temperatures, showers and south-westerly winds are expected during Wednesday and Thursday.
“Damaging west to south-west winds with gusts exceeding 90km/h are expected to develop across Lord Howe Island from early this evening … waves exceeding five metres are also expected.”
Now snowing ❄️ much harder here in #Katoomba #BlueMountains with alot more to come overnight@SciNate @BOM_NSW @abcsydney @BlackheathWx @bmgazette pic.twitter.com/fnmoxODZGb
— Pablo Bateson (@PabloFootball) August 23, 2022
There were almost a dozen flood warnings active across the state including major flooding of the Macquarie River at Warren.
The BoM projected the river would remain near the major flood level of nine metres over the coming days.
The succession of cold fronts across south-eastern Australia brought high weekly rainfall totals over the past week, including up to 150mm in western Tasmania and 100mm in other western facing areas.
The wet weather came as the BoM officially declared there was now a 70% chance a third consecutive La Niña would develop later in the year – around three times the normal risk – as a negative Indian Ocean Dipole event continued.
The conditions were expected to bring above-average rainfall for much of Australia and colder than average conditions throughout spring.
