Winter arrives for long weekend, two hikers rescued in blizzard

Sydneysiders have shivered through the first properly cold weekend of the year, as wild weather dumped snow on the mountains and two hikers were rescued in a blizzard near Mount Kosciuszko.

The feels-like temperature hit the negatives in parts of Sydney on Monday morning, dropping as low as -5 degrees in Katoomba, with a possibility of snow, and -2 degrees in Sutherland Shire.

Skiers and snowboarders make the most of the conditions during Perisher’s opening weekend.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

The Bureau of Meteorology’s Helen Reid said while the wintry conditions are “fairly standard”, it’s the shock factor that gets us.

“We have these lovely days, and all of a sudden, ‘wham’, the temperature drops,” Reid said.

She said the cold air coming through would linger for a couple of days before Sydney could expect to “thaw out a little bit”.

The Cullen family enjoy Perisher Resort at the weekend.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“The low-pressure system that’s driving the cold weather is now to the east, and it’s still bringing in that southerly flow,” Reid said.

While Sydneysiders rug up, skiers are celebrating a ripper opening long weekend in the Snowy Mountains.

Temperatures are yet to lift above zero, and plenty of snowfall is delivering dream conditions for the start of the season.

Perisher received a total of 60 centimetres across Saturday and Sunday, with a huge dump on Saturday being topped with an additional 15cm on Sunday and overnight. There was slightly less snow at Thredbo, with the resort receiving about 30cm over the first two days of the long weekend. More snow is expected on Monday.

More snowfall overnight has kept the good times rolling for skiers who are in Perisher for the long weekend.Credit:

It’s a promising start to the year, but a forecast warmer-than-average winter is still expected.

“There isn’t a correlation between individual snow events and how that adds up across the course of a season,” Reid said.

“You have to take each individual weather event as it comes.”

But it wasn’t all fun at the snow, with two hikers having to be rescued after becoming stranded in blizzard conditions at Kosciuszko National Park on Saturday morning.

A 31-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman spent 17 hours in winds that brought the feels-like temperature down to -18 degrees when they got into trouble on the Kosciuszko Walking Trail below Mount Carruthers, about three kilometres from Mount Kosciuszko.

The search party first advanced towards the hikers about 12.15pm on Saturday, getting as close as 1.2km away, before being forced to turn back due to strong winds and a whiteout.

It wasn’t until 10.40pm that night that alpine specialists were able to hike on foot to find the walkers, while other officers established a campsite nearby.

Soon after midnight, the rescue team escorted the hikers to the campsite, where they stayed for nearly four hours while waiting for a break in the strong winds and heavy snowfall.

The hikers were extracted without injuries about 4am.

The multi-agency response included officers from the Monaro Police District Alpine Operations Unit, the Police Rescue Squad, NSW Ambulance and the NSW State Emergency Service.

“As we move into the snow season, it’s vital that Kosciuszko National Park users are properly prepared before venturing into alpine regions,” NSW Police Acting Inspector Andrew Woods said.

“It’s highly recommended that park users monitor weather forecasts closely and continually as conditions change quickly.”

Woods also encouraged the use of the online National Parks and Wildlife Service Trip Intention Forms and personal locator beacons.

In Victoria, 13 people were rescued at Mount Hotham after a wintry blast blanketed ski fields and closed roads.

Heavy snowfall of at least 50cm caught many visitors by surprise, having ventured into dangerous conditions without the proper equipment.

A man in his 40s was treated for minor injuries after his vehicle rolled, and another 12 people were rescued. Concerns persist for as many as 20 people who could be stuck, as the SES continued to search the area.

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