A burst of wintry weather will spread across New South Wales today and into the weekend, with the chance of snow for ski resorts after a dry start to the season.
The chilly blast is from a polar air mass being dragged away from the Southern Ocean by a strong cold front that is spreading over the central and northern ranges in NSW, Weatherzone reports.
Following a spell of unusually warm and settled weather in the state last month, this frigid air mass will deliver some of the coldest weather of the winter.
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Showers are falling across most parts of NSW ahead of the cold front moving in.
There will also be a strong westerly wind increasing today. Wind gusts should reach 70km/h to 80km/h along some exposed parts of the coast and ranges in NSW today, with isolated damaging wind gusts exceeding 90km/h possible.
Strong wind and gale warnings have also been issued for the Hunter Coast, Sydney Coast and Illawarra Coast today.
There is also a severe weather warning in place for Lord Howe Island, off the NSW coast, with damaging winds of up to 90km/h expected today.
Some of the rain in NSW will fall as snow over the next couple of days. Unlike most other frontal systems so far this winter, this one should push far enough north to deliver snow-bearing air outside the Alpine areas.
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Snow should reach down to about 900m to 1000m elevation in southern and central parts.
The weather system will be good news for the snow-starved Alps and will offer a glimmer of hope for skiers in northern NSW that have gone without any flakes so far this season.
Australia as a whole has just experienced its ninth warmest July dating back to 1910, with the alpine regions of Tasmania, NSW, and Victoria among the country's warmest spots, according to Weatherzone.
