Snow has blanketed parts of the Snowy Mountains, Southern Tablelands and the ACT as a burst of cold air moved through the regions overnight.
Residents have reported sustained snowfalls in the early hours of Sunday, and woke to find their houses and backyards coated in white.
There are reports of snow around the Southern Tablelands and Snowy Mountains regions including at Captains Flat, Michelago, Bunyan, Adaminaby and Nimmitabel.
The Bureau of Meteorology has also reported snow at high parts of the ACT, and alpine resorts in the Snowy Mountains.
Bureau meteorologist Dean Narramore said cold air passed through the regions on southerly winds from Victoria and Tasmania overnight while it was raining.
The combination brought snowfalls to the Snowy Mountains and Southern Tablelands districts.
Snow fell at areas as low as 1000 metres above sea level, he said.
"That's producing pretty widespread snow last night and very early this morning across the Snowy Mountains, and also parts of the Southern Tablelands and even some of the high terrain around the Canberra area as well," Mr Narramore said.
Thredbo and Perisher Valley also recorded snowfalls of about five to 10 centimetres.
'It's unbelievable'
Captains Flat resident Giles Doolan said snow fell in areas as low as 750 metres above sea level in his district.
Flurries were still falling by mid-morning on Sunday.
Tinderry Range near Captains Flat was covered in snow, Mr Doolan said.
Snow started falling at 2am and continued until 7am, he said. It took longer for the snow to begin collecting due to earlier rainfall.
"It has occurred in the past but not to this level, and not with this type of weather pattern," he said.
Overnight rain turned to sleet and then snow.
"The forecast said snow down to 1300m so I assumed it would be a temporary passing snow shower," Mr Doolan said.
He woke at 6am to find his house and backyard "laced in wet heavy concrete-like snow".
Mr Doolan, who lives about 150 metres above Captains Flat, said the spring chill was lingering on Sunday morning.
"The fire's running and keeping the house nice and warm," he said.
Spring snow
— Tim the Yowie Man (@TimYowie) October 8, 2022
Yes the rain band has gone but it’s a bit chilly behind it.
Lotsa snow around including Adaminaby and Nimmitabel.
This pic via the good folk at The Royal Arms in Nimmitabel pic.twitter.com/iCAxIyASrn
Mark Cooper, who lives at Bunyan near Cooma, awoke on Sunday morning to find his house covered in snow, despite rainfalls earlier last night.
"What I was not expecting was two inches of snow on the front verandah," he said.
"It's really unbelievable to get snow to settle on the ground like that when it's so wet."
Friends of his living at Numeralla, east of Cooma, reported snowfall of 25 centimetres.
Mr Cooper said it had been unusually wet around the Monaro region this spring - including at Bunyan, known locally as a "rain shadow within a rain shadow".
Wet start to October
Overnight rain in Canberra reached 35mm, as the low pressure system that drenched NSW moved across the region.
The ACT has had a wet start to the month, recording 85.6mm at the Canberra Airport gauge - well above the 50mm monthly average for October.
It is more than half of the 150mm monthly record for October in Canberra.
Mr Narramore said the low-pressure system moved off the east coast on Sunday morning after bucketing down on NSW, bringing the heaviest falls to coastal areas between Newcastle and the Shoalhaven.
Ulladulla recorded 110mm of rain overnight.
The weather bureau is forecasting drier and partly cloudy conditions for Monday and Tuesday in Canberra, but is expecting rain to return later in the week.
