Mount Ive Station posts photos of ‘snow’ covered landscape in Gawler Ranges

Mount Ive Station shared photos of an icy winter wonderland in the Gawler Ranges, with the white landscape the result of a storm.

Hail and frost cover the ground at Mt Ive station about 5 hours drive from Adelaide in the Gawler Ranges. Picture: Supplied

An outback station in South Australia’s north has posted stunning images of a ice-covered landscape after winter hit with a vengeance overnight on Tuesday.

Mount Ive Station in South Australia’s Gawler Ranges posted the pictures to Facebook on Tuesday morning asking the question, “Snow at Mount Ive??”.

Hail and frost cover the ground at Mount Ive station, about five hours’ drive from Adelaide in the Gawler Ranges.

The hail and frost created a stunning contrast with the red soil.

A sight that’s rarely seen on the Eyre Peninsula.

Another image from the station, 200km west of Port Augusta.

The post came with a series of photos showing what appeared to be ice covering the usually dry and arid outback landscape.

The post attracted about 100 comments within two hours, as followers who had previously visited or camped at the outback outpost said they were shocked by the unusual but beautiful images.

“It wasn’t like that when we visited it in May this year. But it looks wonderful,” Julie Kavanagh posted.

However, many users were quick to point out that hail and frost might also explain the strange sight.

“That would have rattled the tin roof!” Tracy Hoffrichter said.

A Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson confirmed the white scenery was the result of storms in the area.

“Thunderstorms developed near Mount Ive along a cold front around 5pm Monday. These thunderstorms brought hail to the region, Yardea the nearest rainfall gauge, reported 4mm in the 24 hours to 9am Tuesday,” they said.

The Mount Ive sheep station is located about 200km west of Port Augusta and 500km from Adelaide on SA’s Eyre Peninsula.

It is a popular destination for outback travellers, providing a range of accommodation from huts to campsites.

BoM forecasts suggested the region around Mt Ive could expect to remain sunny for the rest of the week, with maximum temperatures averaging 19C, with a 30 per cent chance of rain returning on Sunday.