see also:

• Melbourne weather

• snow in Victoria is mainly confined to the alpine areas in Winter and a good snow season generally starts early June and lasts until end of September
• snow generally falls when temperatures fall to freezing or below and it rains
• thus most falls occur after a cold front passes an area bringing strong, cold south-southwesterly winds from the Antarctic along with many focal cumulonimbus shower producing cloud formations which are scattered and allow periods of blue sky which further allow night temperatures to fall.
• the intensity of the cold front will determine the altitudes likely to receive snow
• the stronger snow producing fronts are generally associated with 100-110kph wind gusts and spread north-easterly into southern NSW

• the main factors affecting snow resort depth of snow in winter are (with average affect on snow depths):
  • El Niño event reduces snow depth by 17%
  • positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event reduces snow depth by 15%
  • El Niño event PLUS a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event reduces snow depth by 23%
    • However, this results in increased clear skies at night meaning frosty nights which are good conditions for snowmaking machines
  • negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event INCREASES snow depth by 20%
  • La Niña has variable effect as the average 25% increased rain in SE Australia may not fall as snow and so snow depth may only increase by as little as 4%
  • a neutral Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) season with a neutral Pacific Ocean (no El Nino or La Nina) generally gives 8cm better than average snow depths
  • the frequency of cold fronts, however these cannot be accurately predicted more than a few weeks ahead
    • a negative SAM increases the frequency of cold fronts and also of westerlies which dry out the coastal regions and increase snow in the alps
  • climate change which is slowly reducing snow seasons in Australia

• these are the common cold fronts in Winter in Victoria and are largely responsible for much of the alpine snow as Victoria's Alps snow fields only rise to 1800-1900m
  • Mt Hotham 1862m
  • Fall's Creek 1830m
  • Mt Buller 1800m
  • Mt Baw Baw 1500m

• relatively frequent cold fronts in Winter, extend the snow coverage to other alpine areas
  • Lake Mountain snow resort (1350m)
  • Mt Donna Buang (1250m)

• these are more powerful cold fronts and one can expect several of these each winter from May onwards
• they bring light snow falls to the nearby mountains around Melbourne such as Mount Macedon (980-1000m)

• there are much less common and further extend the range of snow to produce snow of Mt Dandenong (elevation 633m) and in the central highlands such as:
  • Toolangi Wirrawilla rainforest walk (750m)
  • Bullarto (750m)
  • Lyonville (740m)
  • Firth Park (730m)
  • Trentham Falls (710m)
  • Hanging Rock (680m)
  • perhaps Mt Alexander (640m)
  • Mt Macedon pub area (615m)
  • Kinglake (600m)
  • Blackwood (600m)
  • Gordon (600m)
• light snowfall typically falls on Mount Buninyong (740m) and Mount Warrenheip (740m) at least once a year
• Note that these events may bring snow falls to Canberra which is at 580-600m elevation, Orange (940m) and even as far north as Stanthorpe (800m) in Queensland

• these are quite rare events and further extend snow coverage to the following towns:
  • Daylesford (580m)
  • Woodend (560m)
  • Macedon township (500m)
  • Ballan (500m)
  • New Gisborne (450-500m)
  • Ballarat (435m-500m)
  • Toolangi
  • Marysville (400m)
• it is likely that by the afternoon, the snow will have retreated from these regions and only found in those closer to 700m or higher
• examples: 11th August 2019, 1st August 2014, July 2007 with lighter falls in June 2016, Aug 2008, June 2008, Nov 2006