Weather News

Sandcastles meet snowmen in Hobart

Tristan Meyers, Monday August 3, 2015 - 11:28 AEST

Residents of Hobart woke up to a rare site this morning - snow! Many people took to Twitter using the hashtag "snowbart" to document the event.

Snow fell as low as sea level. Since many schools were closed due to the inclement weather, some residents felt it was a perfect opportunity for sandcastles to meet snowmen in Blackmans Bay.

It wasn't all good news, however - many roads were closed due to dangerous driving conditions. A road weather alert is current for the North West Coast, Central North, North East, Western, Central Plateau, Midlands, East Coast, Upper Derwent Valley and South East Several regions due to icy roads and poor visibility. A few bus services also called it a day since they were snowed in.

Although snow fell in Hobart in 2005, the last time it was this heavy and widespread was in 1986. Going back even further, there was significant reports of widespread snow in 1921 - making this a truly one-in-a-generation event.

A very cold airmass deriving from the Antarctic was the cause of this rare event. The airmass over Tasmania reached its peak intensity last night and early this morning, and so snowfalls will ease throughout today with the snow level gradually lifting.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2015

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A very wet weekend for southeast Qld, northeast NSW

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