Snow blankets parts of Tasmania amid pre-winter cold spike, snowboarders hit slopes
The snow season has kicked off early in Tasmania this year, with Mount Field National Park transformed into a winter wonderland overnight and other parts of the state blanketed in frost.
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Snowboarders have hit the slopes in Mount Field National Park as Tasmania shivers through a pre-winter cold spike – but getting to the winter wonderland remains difficult, prompting a local business owner to call for improved access to the alpine areas.
A webcam managed by the Southern Tasmanian Ski Association captured an intrepid pair weaving their way down Mount Mawson early on Thursday morning, following a healthy snowfall overnight.
The road to Lake Dobson in the national park was closed on Thursday due to snow, which was forecast to fall above 900 metres.
It came as a high pressure centre was moving over Victoria, expected to persist until at least Saturday, directing a lighter westerly flow over Tasmania, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Rachel Power, who owns Waterfalls Cafe & Gallery, located in the Mount Field Visitor Centre, said the national park didn’t normally see this level of snowfall so early in the season.
“That’s encouraging for the season ahead. It’s looking gorgeous,” she said.
“Mount Field is always in its element when it’s got a white cloak.”
Ms Power said she wanted to see a roundtable discussion held about improving road access to the alpine areas in the national park.
“Every time everyone wants to get up there, they come out [to Mount Field], they really want to have a ball, and they can’t, because the road [to Lake Dobson] is actually completely closed,” she said.
“Somewhere along the line, the discussion has to be had on how we can make this a better system, and how we can actually get people safely into the alpine area that works both for the road, for the people who have to look after the road, and all the other road users, as well.
“Because there’s always someone who goes up in a two-wheel-drive and gets stuck.”
Mount Field wasn’t the only place blanketed with snow on Thursday, as the Central Highlands and parts of the North and North-West also copped a powdery blast.
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