Polar Blast Hits Australia: Snow and Frosty Tempest Ahead!

A frigid surge coming from Antarctica is moving toward southeastern Australia, poised to chill millions of Australians.

Meteorologist Anthony Sharwood from Weatherzone cautioned that the cold front is expected to arrive on Monday.

The system is expected to deliver rain, wild winds and potentially heavy snowfalls to alpine regions in Tasmania , Victoria, southern NSW and the ACT.

While those in Australia's southeast may feel prepared having shivered through a cold front last weekend, which delivered centimetres of snow to ski resorts, Mr Sharwood warned next week's will be more intense.

The upcoming system appears to be more robust, cooler, enduring, and rainier, potentially bringing significant rainfall across a wide area stretching approximately from Adelaide to the ACT," he stated.

This is the kind of cold front that snow enthusiasts only hope for during midwinter, not to mention in May.

The graph above illustrates that chilly air is anticipated to move northward from areas far south of Tasmania at the beginning of next week. This cold front is likely to arrive in southeast Australia on Monday accompanied by significant humidity.

Snow could descend as low as 400 metres in Tasmania's mountainous regions.

'In terms of systems of this calibre in May, the predicted set-up is reminiscent of the famous May 28-30 cold outbreak way back in the year 2000, when a metre of snow fell at the ski resorts and an NRL game at Canberra Stadium was played on a field that was white with settled snow,' Mr Sharwood said.

'It doesn’t mean the system will be entirely frigid, nor does it indicate widespread snowfall over Canberra; however, light snow showers could reach areas as low as Canberra’s altitude of approximately 600 meters, according to current forecasts. In Tasmania, where elevations drop lower, reaching close to 400 meters, similar conditions seem likely.'

The cold front is good news for ski lovers with the system to provide a half-metre of snow just in time for ski season.

'That's assuming there's no major rain event between this system and the season opening on Saturday, June 7,' Mr Sharwood said.

Heavy rainfall is predicted across much of Victoria and southern South Australia.

'Mr Sharwood stated that accurately predicting exact rainfall amounts just a few days before a weather event is challenging to confirm confidently. Nonetheless, substantial showers of 10 millimeters or greater are expected in the regions outlined.'

Although this system has little chance of being a drought-buster, numerous places will experience their most substantial rainfall since records began in 2025.

Powerful and possibly destructive winds will impact Alpine regions and vulnerable coastal locations in Victoria and Tasmania as the frigid Arctic air mass moves northwards.

"It’s important to highlight that eastern NSW will face risks from falling trees because of the unstable ground caused by the intense rainfall and unprecedented flooding recently," Mr Sharwood stated.

Although the NSW coastline typically experiences little precipitation fromsouthwestern weather systems such as this, it often does not go without experiencing powerful gusts.

Sydney

Friday : Overcast with an extremely high probability of rainfall, which will ease during the later part of the afternoon and into the night. There’s also a possibility of thunderstorms developing. Wind direction shifts from easterly to northeasterly at speeds between 15 to 25 km/h before calming down in the early afternoon; subsequently turning northwesterly around the late evening at 15 to 20 km/h. Minimum temperature expected is 16°C, with a maximum reaching up to 22°C.

Saturday : Partly cloudy. Winds northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h tending westerly during the day then becoming light during the afternoon. Min 13. Max 22.

Sunday : Mostly sunny. Light winds. Min 12. Max 21.

Melbourne

Friday : Overcast with a high likelihood of rain. Gentle breezes. Temperatures reaching up to 17°C.

Saturday : Partly cloudy conditions with a moderate likelihood of rain, mainly earlier in the day. The winds will be northwest at 15 to 25 km/h before shifting tonortherly at 20 to 30 km/h later in the afternoon. Low temperature expected to reach 11°C and high around 19°C.

Sunday A mostly clear day ahead with a moderate likelihood of rain, primarily during the evening hours. Expect winds from the north at 25 to 40 kilometres per hour. Temperatures will range between a minimum of 11 degrees and a maximum of 19 degrees.

Brisbane

Friday :Sunny conditions with light breezes. Low of 14, high of 25.

Saturday : Partly cloudy with light breezes. Low of 14, high of 25.

Sunday : Mainly sunny with a possibility of early mist in the western areas. Gentle breezes. Minimum temperature will be 14 degrees, reaching up to a maximum of 27 degrees.

Perth

Friday : Overcast with a high likelihood of rain, particularly during the early hours of the day. The winds will be southerly at 15 to 20 km/h, shifting to lighter conditions just before sunrise, followed by southeast to southwest breezes ranging from 15 to 25 km/h in the morning. Lows around 10 degrees Celsius and highs reaching up to 17 degrees Celsius.

Saturday : Partly cloudy. Patches of morning frost about the hills. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming westerly 15 to 20 km/h during the day then becoming light during the afternoon. Min 5. Max 17.

Sunday : Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the morning. Light winds becoming southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h during the day then becoming light during the afternoon. Min 9. Max 19.

Adelaide

Friday : Sunny. The chance of morning frost about the northern suburbs. Light winds becoming west to northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in the late afternoon. Min 5. Max 18.

Saturday Predominantly clear skies in the early part of the day. There’s a moderate likelihood of rain later on, particularly from mid-afternoon through the night. Breezes will be northerly at 15 to 25 km/h before shifting to a northwesterly direction with speeds increasing to between 25 and 35 km/h during the morning hours. Lows around 8 degrees and highs reaching up to 21.

Sunday : Partly cloudy with a high probability of rain, particularly during the evening hours. The winds will be northerly to westerly at 35 to 50 kilometers per hour. Minimum temperature expected to be 11 degrees Celsius; maximum around 21 degrees Celsius.

Hobart

Friday Mainly clear skies in the early part of the day will give way to a high probability of rain starting in the later afternoon and continuing into the night. Winds will shift from northern to northeast at speeds between 15 to 20 kilometres per hour as the evening progresses before calming down significantly towards midnight. Lows dropping to around 5 degrees with highs reaching up to 19 degrees.

Saturday : Partly cloudy conditions with an extremely high probability of rain, mostly in the early part of the day. Winds will be gentle but shift from westerly to northwesterly at 15 to 20 kilometres per hour during daylight hours before calming down significantly as the evening approaches. Low temperature expected to drop to 10°C and rise up to a maximum of 17°C.

Sunday : Partly cloudy conditions with a moderate likelihood of rain, mainly expected in the evening. Wind direction will shift from northwest at 15 to 25 km/h to northeast at 20 to 30 km/h during the day. The minimum temperature will be around 9°C, reaching up to 17°C maximum.

Canberra

Friday : Overcast with an extremely high probability of rainfall, primarily during the morning and late afternoon. Winds will blow from the east to southeast at 15 to 20 kilometers per hour before switching to northwest in the early afternoon. Low temperature of 9 degrees Celsius; high reaching up to 18 degrees Celsius.

Saturday : Cloud cover expected throughout the day with a moderate likelihood of rain, primarily in the early hours. Wind direction will be northwest at speeds between 15 to 25 km/h before easing considerably later on. Low temperature around 6°C; high reaching up to 16°C.

Sunday Mainly clear skies with a small possibility of rain. Winds will be light before shifting to northerly at 15 to 25 km/h early in the day. Low temperature expected around 4°C. High reaching up to 17°C.

Darwin

Friday : Mostly sunny. Light winds. Min 21. Max 32.

Saturday : Partly cloudy. Light winds. Min 22. Max 32.

Sunday : Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers. Light winds becoming easterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the day. Min 24. Max 32.

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