Snow shrouds QLD, NSW

Granite Belt Wine and Tourism Centre supervisor Karan Orr told The Brisbane Times people had jammed into the region around Stanthorpe hoping to see the rare sight of snow.

“We don’t actually measure the depth of snow fall, it’s so rare here in Queensland that really all we have to go on are rain gauges”, Bureau of Meteorology (Bom) forecaster Gorrdon Banks told The Guardian.

Stanthorpe local Michael Hilton said he was in awe when he ventured outside just after 3am.

“To look out our back door, our outdoor tables are totally covered, the ground is totally covered, the chook yard’s totally covered, the pizza oven’s covered, the top of the shed’s covered and there’s just a total blanket of snow”.

Queensland is a very welcoming state, even in the cold.

However, Stanthorpe is situated at 28.7 degrees South latitude, putting it about the same distance from the equator as Orlando, Florida. According to records, it hasn’t snowed in Australia since the mid 80s.

The Bureau of Meteorology says snow falls in Bowral, Mittagong and Katoomba in the Blue Mountains are expected to stop by the end of the day.

Cold air squeezed through a high pressure system from the Great Australian Bight, causing the snowfall in the two states.

Families braved the freezing cold to make snowmen at 2:00am.

“We haven’t slept yet and wow”, she said.

Mr Sutton, who runs a cidery cellar door and juice factory, said he had never seen a snowfall like this before and was expecting plenty of traffic on the roads as snow tourists travelled to the town.