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AAP
AAP
National
Rachael Ward and Adrian Black

Australia shivers as winter freeze forecast to drag on

Drag duo Freddie Merkin and Frock Hudson enjoy the snow at Falls Creek in northeastern Victoria. (Adrian Black/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

Temperatures have plummeted to below-average across Australia, with the freezing conditions set to continue.

Canberra shivered through minus 5.6C just before 6am on Tuesday, with drivers warned to take extreme care because of icy conditions.

It was 1.3C in Sydney's Penrith, 1.8C in the Melbourne suburb of Viewbank and minus 3.9C at the Oakley defence site in Brisbane.

The mercury plummeted to minus 3.8C at Grove, southwest of Hobart, and 2.7C at Nuriootpa north of Adelaide.

The Bureau of Meteorology received anecdotal reports of between 15cm and 30cm of snow in alpine areas, according to senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury.

The snow was especially welcome at Victoria's Falls Creek, where businesses have been challenged in recent years by bushfires, COVID-19 and a landslide in October which isolated the community for seven months.

"Now that - touch wood - we're all past it, it's nice to seeing everyone excited to welcome people back to the resort," Falls Creek Alpine Resort marketing head Andrew Eckersley told AAP.

Drag queen Frock Hudson and drag king Freddie Merkin were also lapping up the conditions while shooting promotion for September's Gay Ski Week.

Canberra has shivered through a frosty minus 5.6-degree start to the day. (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

"Being able to see the festival grow after the last few years with not only COVID, but landslides... to be able to work together to be able to contribute to making great experiences up here on the mountain is really fantastic," Ms Hudson told AAP.

Temperatures plunged below zero in southern Queensland, with Oakey reaching minus 3.7C.

Elsewhere on the Darling Downs, Dalby reached minus 2.5C and Goondiwindi shivered at minus 0.9C.

Brisbane's minimum was below 10C and the airport recorded 8.1C.

The state's southeast is expected to post below-average temperatures under mostly clear skies for the rest of the week.

Cold air from the Southern Ocean is being blown across southeastern Australia with a high-pressure system reinforcing the chilly conditions.

Ms Bradbury said temperatures are again tipped to dip below zero in parts of southeast Queensland, Tasmania and inland NSW and Victoria overnight.

The chill is likely to continue until the end of the week but temperatures are set to rise above average in some areas at the weekend.

Sheep graziers across regional NSW have been put on alert with a warning sheep and lambs exposed to the tough conditions are at risk.

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