Three-day cold snap begins in Queensland, apparent temperatures drop as low as -6C

Parts of Queensland have been hit with the start of a brutal three-day cold blast from the Antarctic which triggered subzero temperatures while the chance of snow is the “best in years”.

Parts of Queensland have been hit with the start of a brutal three-day cold blast from the Antarctic with apparent temperatures plunging to as low as -6 degrees.

A combination of a high pressure system with a frontal system sent cool air from the Antarctic flowing into Queensland over the weekend causing bitterly cold temperatures from this morning.

The weather bureau warned the cold snap could last from Monday to Wednesday.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Shane Kennedy said while Monday morning was too dry for snow to appear in the Granite Belt, the chances were the “best in years” on Tuesday.

“Tuesday morning will be the best chance, you need enough moisture to get the snow and we’re expecting some showers around the Granite Belt from Tuesday to Thursday,” Mr Kennedy said.

“That’ll just be a question of whether it gets cold enough ... for a little bit of most likely just snow flurries, so that’s just some snowflakes in the air.”

He said it was not likely there would be any snow settled on the ground in Queensland, which more likely in northern New South Wales into the New England area, but the flurries were possible from Stanthorpe down to the border.

According to the bureau’s official recordings, temperatures this morning plummeted to as low as -2.4C in the Darling Downs.

Oakey temperatures dropped to -2.4C (feels like -6.8C) about 6am, Applethorpe -1.7C (feels like -4C), Dalby -0.6C (feels like -4.1C), Warwick -1.1C (feels like -4.1C) and Wellcamp Airport -1.2C (feels like -3.8C).

Kingaroy also had bitterly cold temperatures of 0.9C (feels -1C) as did Amberley -0.4C (feels like -2.5C).

“That was the coldest, Wellcamp Airport just near Toowoomba was minus 3.4C degrees, Oakey was minus 2.7C, Applethrope just near Stanthorpe was minus 2.1C, Warwick minus 1.7C,” he said of the Darling Downs.

“Even Northern Queensland was generally two to six degrees below average Monday morning, fairly cool even for July.”

Hughenden in the Flinders Shire was 1.8C at 7:08am, while Burketown fell to 11.1C at 7:17am.

Bowen Airport in the Whitsunday Region recorded 9.3C at 6:09am, Mackay Airport 7.7C at 5:17am and 3.2C was recorded at Capricornia’s Biloela at 6:14am.

Mr Kennedy said the Antarctic cold snap would persist through the end of the week with colder than average temperatures expected all the way north.

“Even to Saturday we’ll likely see these cold mornings continue, so quite a long cold snap this one, expect temperatures two to six degrees below average continuing,” he said.

“It’s both during the afternoon and overnight and cold temperatures should make it all the way into far northern Queensland.”

The forecaster said Southeast Queensland would also be dealt with significant wind chill making the air feel even colder.

“Tuesday, Wednesday are likely to be the windiest days with west to south-westerly winds and that windchill factor will likely make it feel even colder, it’ll be quite chilly the next few days.

“This has been caused by a deep low pressure system near Tasmania that is pushing up cold Southern air up across the state.”