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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Oliver Milman

'Thundersnow' set to batter western Tasmania this weekend

NSW snow
The cold conditions expected in Tasmania follow the chilly weather recently experienced in Victoria and New South Wales. Photograph: Dean Lewins/EPA

Western Tasmania is set to be buffeted by thunder, lightning and snow on the weekend – an inclement combination that has been dubbed “thundersnow”.

A ridge of low pressure is forecast to bring 120km/h winds to the west coast of the state, with snow falling as low as 400 metres. The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting 10 to 15mm of rain on Saturday, intensifying to 30 to 40mm of rain on Sunday.

Thunderstorms will roll into the state on Saturday. Combined with the snow, this weather phenomenom is called thundersnow by some forecasters but is not a term used by the BoM.

“It’s an intense cold front that will come through on Saturday night,” Debbie Tavor, meteorologist at the BoM, told Guardian Australia. “We’ll see colder conditions, hail and snow and thunderstorms.”

Tavor said the conditions would ease on Monday. The cold conditions follow the chilly weather recently experienced in Victoria and New South Wales.

The BoM will provide updated warnings for road conditions on the weekend.

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