Storms, Snow and Soaking Rains Mark Winter’s Finale in Southern Australia
Southern Australia is set to close out winter with a dramatic display of weather, as a series of cold fronts sweep across the region this week. After a short burst of unseasonable warmth — with parts of northern South Australia reaching a sweltering 34 degrees on Monday, well above average for this time of year — the atmosphere is about to flip completely. What is on the way is a wintry mix of gale-force winds, thunderstorms, soaking rains, and widespread snow.
The shift will be driven by four separate cold fronts crossing the southern states, each one reinforcing the last. The first of these has already been felt in Western Australia, where Perth was drenched with heavy rainfall and shivered through its coldest August day on record, peaking at just 11.4 degrees — the city’s chilliest maximum in 50 years. That front is now heading east, bringing showers, hail, and gusty winds to Victoria, Tasmania, and New South Wales.
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But the real drama is still to come. A powerful third front, expected later in the week, will pull frigid air directly from Antarctica. This polar blast is forecast to plunge temperatures dramatically, drive the development of a deep low-pressure system, and whip up winds strong enough to topple trees and cut power across parts of South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales. Gusts above 100 kilometres per hour are considered likely in some regions by Friday and Saturday, while thunderstorms with hail could strike major cities including Melbourne, Canberra, and Hobart.
Snow is set to be one of the defining features of this wintry outbreak. While alpine areas are accustomed to late-August snowfalls, this event is shaping up to push flakes to unusually low levels. In Tasmania, snow could fall as low as 200 to 400 metres, while parts of Victoria may see snow below 700 metres. Even Canberra, Ballarat, and parts of South Australia could witness brief flurries if conditions align just right. For ski resorts, the storm sequence is expected to deliver more than half a metre of fresh snow, extending the season well into September.
Alongside the cold and wind, widespread rainfall will provide both relief and challenge. Agricultural regions of South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and southern New South Wales should receive 20 to 50 millimetres, while some exposed mountain and coastal areas could see closer to 100 millimetres. For many towns, this will tip winter totals above seasonal averages, helping to erase the rainfall deficits that built up earlier in the year. Adelaide and Bendigo, for example, have already surpassed their long-term winter averages and are expecting another soaking this week.
Still, the wild finish to winter won’t last forever. Forecasts suggest that as spring begins next week, the weather will ease into a more typical pattern with weaker fronts bringing only light showers. But with a negative Indian Ocean Dipole in place, a wetter-than-usual spring remains the broader outlook.
For now though, southern Australia is bracing for a finale to winter that will be remembered for its storms, snow, and sweeping rain — a true reminder of how quickly the seasons can turn.
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