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ABC News
ABC News
National

Snow turns Australian Alps into winter wonderland in the middle of summer

Parts of Victoria and New South Wales have shivered through the morning with snow falling in alpine areas while their northern counterparts in Queensland continue to endure a heatwave.

The overnight wintry blast left a light dusting of snow across the Victorian Alps including at Mount Hotham.

Chamber of Commerce president Steve Belli said while it was an incredible sight, it was not too unusual for snow to fall in February.

"[The weather] is a little bit unpredictable these days. You never know what's going to happen … but it's Mother Nature, you've just got to work in with it," he said.

Perisher Valley experiences rare summer snowfall.(Supplied: Fire and Rescue Perisher Valley)

About two centimetres fell at Falls Creek, where mountain access is limited due to a landslide impacting one of the only roads up. 

Mr Belli said the weather conditions were not helping that situation and the impacts were being felt across the board.

"The weather is not on our side at the moment, so we just have to buckle up and do what we can."

'Nice burst is super rare'

Perisher Valley in the NSW Snowy Monaro region has also seen a significant dusting for late summer.

The Bureau of Meteorology said three to five centimetres were recorded there and at Thredbo.

For ski resort Valhalla Perisher, business has been going steadily well despite it being the off-season.

"We woke up this morning and I opened up the blinds to our room to the beautiful surprise of a full white coverage of the mountain," lodge manager Drew Loaring said.

"You couldn't wipe the smile off my face — a nice burst of winter in February is super rare and it was lovely."

While it is unusual for it to snow heavily during the hotter months, snowfall can occur at any time of year in the Snowy Mountains and businesses like Valhalla Perisher are often prepared for tourists outside of winter.

"We're probably one of only a handful of commercial lodges that's open all year around," Mr Loaring said.

The white-capped mountains have been a good omen for Mr Loaring, who says many tourists have been opting for mountain biking in Thredbo instead of Perisher Valley's more relaxed atmosphere in recent years.

"We're trying to build Perisher's popularity again," he said.

Cold few days

BOM senior meteorologist Dean Narramore said the temperatures recorded overnight were typical of those seen in late August.

"It's not record-breaking but it is something we only see every few Februaries," he said.

Some locations are expected to experience maximum temperatures up to 15 degrees below the average for this time of year.

The cold weather was here to stay until at least early next week, Mr Narramore added.

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