Snow, hail in Victoria, Tasmania on what could be 2020's coldest day

Icy Tassie devils? Snow at sea level? Melbourne getting colder as the day goes on? Welcome to what is turning into winter’s most freezing day.

Today may well end up being the coldest day of the year, forecasters have said, as an Antarctic air mass pushes through the country’s south east.

Snow has been reported down to as low as sea level in some areas.

Pictures have flooded in of southern states covered in the white stuff. It’s much needed on the mountains as, so far, the snow season has been abysmal.

In Rosebery in Tasmania, which is 150 metres above sea level, cars were flecked with snow as the icy weather rolled in this morning.

“The snow is at very low levels in Tasmania and Victoria and that will continue into the evening,” said Sky News Weather meteorologist Robert Sharpe.

“There will then be a snow level rise for Tasmania as a slightly warmer air mass pushes in overnight into tomorrow with the coldest air moving into New South Wales tonight.”

A COVID message in the snow on a table outside the Top of the Range Cafe at Mt. Macedon in central Victoria. Picture: Jay Town

Snow at Waratah, Tasmania, this morning. Photo: Mathew Robinson

Snow at the summit of kunanyi/Mount Wellington, close to Hobart. Picture: Gary Tew.

A Tasmanian devil wrapped up warm against the cold on Cradle Mountain in Tasmania. Picture: Devils@Cradle.

At 1pm today, kunanyi/Mount Wellington which overlooks Hobart, was at -4.6C. Overnight, the peak bottomed out at just -7C. Hobart fell to -2.1C at 6am.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for the state’s east where wind gusts of up to 100 km/h could cause damage to buildings and outdoor structures.

Melbourne’s CBD has only managed to get to 7C today; Tullamarine Airport is on 3.2C.

It’s actually got colder in Melbourne as the day has gone on with the CBD reaching 8.5C at 10.30am before the mercury began dropping again. It could get as low as 5C overnight.

I spy snow!

Extensive snow on the satellite image about the west, far south and some about the northeast.

Looks to be as low as 200m.#weather #tasmania pic.twitter.com/jofU7OCNju

— Bureau of Meteorology, Tasmania (@BOM_Tas) August 4, 2020

Streets and lawns have turned white in some parts of Geelong this morning, as shown in this eye-catching hail pic sent in by a reader from Corio. It comes as snow was reported around Colac and the Otways. https://t.co/dvYKFxJd4q pic.twitter.com/8uGcQvcPQr

— Geelong Advertiser (@geelongaddy) August 4, 2020

SNOW!! ❄️😍❄️
What a sight to wake up to this morning. Did you get a dusting at your place?

📽 via Kittelty's on Instagram 💙 pic.twitter.com/6C5ssReXDl

— Ballarat Council (@cityofballarat) August 3, 2020

Emily Pullen was excited to see snow at Daylesford! @abcmelbourne @abcnews @3AW693 pic.twitter.com/IwgqNMvZ12

— Vic Storm Chasers (@VicStormChasers) August 4, 2020

Hail has been reported in Geelong as wet weather sweeps through southern parts of Victoria.

A severe weather warning is in place for the eastern Victoria coast, including around Melbourne and Geelong, as strong as squally coastal winds develop into Wednesday, most likely with showers and thunderstorms.

Tasmania and Victoria may be shivering today but the rest of the continent’s east could soon feel the chill.

Adelaide is forecast to sink to a mere 3C on Wednesday with highs of 13-14C. Colder still in Canberra with dawn minimums of just -4C on Thursday.

Snow at Lake Dobson in Tasmania’s Mt Field national park. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones.

Wintry Tasmanian roads early this morning. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones.

Perisher could see -8C on Wednesday with up to 60mm of precipitation during the week. Similar conditions are likely for Thredbo.

Generally, it will be sunny in Sydney at least until the end of the week but those clear skies will mean some bracing starts to the day.

A very chilly Tuesday. Picture: Sky News Weather

Wednesday morning in Sydney will drop to 7C and as low as 6C on Thursday. A pleasant high of 22C on Tuesday will drop to 16C by Thursday.

It will be warmer in Brisbane but you could hardly call it toasty in the Sunshine State. The mercury will peak in the low to mid-twenties all week but will only just creep into double digits at dawn.