Fog, snow flurries and rain are on the way for Victoria next week after Melburnians shivered through the coldest day in five years on Thursday.
Following a sunny Saturday with a high of 15 degrees, the temperature is expected to top 14 degrees on Sunday – bang on the June average.
A foggy and frosty view of the city from Williamstown on Saturday.Credit: Joe Armao
But temperatures are unlikely to push past 13 degrees for much of next week, after reaching a maximum of 10.1 degrees on Thursday.
Weather Bureau meteorologist Helen Reid said Melbourne had been hit with a succession of cold fronts and the trend was set to continue next week, with brief rain showers added into the mix early in the week.
“When it comes to showers, there’s not much in them. They’ve just got that nuisance factor – this is just what Melbourne does, isn’t it?” she said. “It’s just winter.”
But heavier rainfalls of up to five millimetres could be on the cards from Wednesday. “There’s going to be some measurable rain coming through mid to late next week ... You’ll see a nice little army of coats as you go about your business.”
Falls Creek opened its beginner runs on Saturday.Credit: Toby Royce/Falls Creek
Some “little dustings and flurries” of snow could also be on the way for Victoria’s alpine regions in the coming days, Reid told The Sunday Age.
Precipitation at the end of next week could bring lashings of snow – or rain, which could wash away the snow base at ski resorts, she said.
Falls Creek and Mount Hotham both opened their first beginner runs of the season on Saturday, while Mount Buller opened its season on the King’s Birthday weekend.
Falls Creek has recorded 19 centimetres of snowfall in the past seven days.
A spokeswoman for Mount Hotham said the resort expected to open more sections in the coming weeks and that the operations team was knowledgeable when it came to building a quality snow base for skiers in any weather conditions.
“The community is clearly really happy to be back on the snow, the vibes are high,” she said.
The temperature at Mount Hotham could reach lows of -5 degrees on Sunday and Monday.
Melburnians woke to a thick blanket of fog on streets and sports pitches on Saturday morning, and the same can be expected on Sunday.
Reid said this was because moisture had stayed in the air following some small downpours, and the lack of cloud cover meant the water vapour could cool down and condense into fog.
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