Thick snow covering kunanyi/Mt Wellington as locals bask

Families and interstate visitors enjoyed another stunning Saturday in the snow as the kunanyi/Mt Wellington summit was opened to the public. PHOTOS, REACTIONS + FORECAST>>>

Families and interstate visitors enjoyed another stunning Saturday in the snow as the kunanyi/Mt Wellington summit was opened to the public.

It was smiles all round on the mountain as visitors told the Mercury traffic was significantly better controlled than the chaotic conditions earlier in the week.

Council workers had set up a traffic control station at The Springs to manage the flow of visitors to the summit once the road was cleared of snow and ice, with a maximum of 150 vehicles allowed past at any point in time.

Queenslander Kym Nissen waited an hour with her young children to be allowed to drive to the summit but said it was well worth it for their first snow experience.

Ms Nissen said her three-year-old daughter, Eve, was “in awe” of the wintry scenery.

“Eve loved it, as soon as everyone got to the summit there was an instant atmosphere of people building snowmen and throwing snowballs, it was an instant winter wonderland,” she said.

Kym Nissen and Evie Izatt with a snow man. After the road to the top of Mt Wellington was cleared hundreds of locals hit the snow.

“The Hobart council workers were really generous with their knowledge and patience while we were waiting, they kept us informed about when they thought it was going to open and it was seamless driving up.

“It was an amazing view from the road, it was really neat.”

Sam Marshall took his sons Harry and Ned up to the summit with family friends, and said “the kids loved it”.

“It was great – we got up there around 12.45 and they opened up the gate for us to go to the top around 1.00,” Mr Marshall said.

“Heaps of people went up after that but it was really nice, lots of snowball fights and that sort of stuff.”

Friends from Sydney had come down to visit and it was “good to show them some snow”, Mr Marshall said.

“The kids loved it – their gloves got wet, feet got cold and then we were back in the car and out of there in about 40 minutes.”

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast a mild week ahead with the mercury to reach 15C in Hobart on Sunday and 5C on kunanyi/Mt Wellington.

BOM meteorologist Alex Melitsis said more snow was not expected until late this week, but the conditions meant snow “should hang around” on top of the mountain.

Kym Nissen with Doug, Eve and Olive Izatt. After the road to the top of Mt Wellington was cleared hundreds of locals hit the snow.

“We’re not expecting any snow really in the next few days – we’ve had a very cool couple of weeks but now we’re back to more normal winter temperatures,” Mr Melitsis said.

“Mild and generally find conditions are the story for much of the week – some cold conditions returning late in the week could see some snow showers over the weekend.”

Mr Melitsis said parents did not need to worry too much about snow melting and ruining their plans for a visit early in the week.

“It’s that warm rain that helps the snow melt, but we’re not really expecting any rain up there the next few ways – there may be some late on Tuesday that could melt a little bit of the snow, but nothing major,” he said.

The Great Wall of snow lining kunanyi/Mt Wellington

Spectacular snow drifts up to four metres high are piled up along the Mount Wellington road, drawing crowds of snow-feverish Tasmanians and their selfie sticks.

The roads up at Pinnacle Point are still closed to cars, but that did not stop determined dentist Jacques Cawood who jogged all the way to the top in his running shorts on Friday.

“It’s a day off today so I’ve come for a run with my wife to come see the snow and enjoy the beautiful views,” Mr Cawood said.

When he triumphantly arrived at the summit he happened across one of his patients Ben Masterman, a park ranger with a pearly smile.

Mr Masterman said the natural beauty of the place was “breathtaking”, particularly with the thick blanket of snow left after the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

However he said hikers should be extra safety-conscious in these conditions, and drivers needed to be patient while council workers clear the roads.

“It is a wonderland and you’ve got to let people come and experience it, because then they get that connection to the place and they come to care about it and pass that on,” Mr Masterman said.

“Believe or not we really do want to keep the road open as much as possible and get as many people here to have that experience - but just not till it’s ready, please.

“If people just keep that snow fever at bay for one more minute, and just keep their level heads on for one more minute after they have the idea to go up here.”

Hobart City Council’s John Fisher said they were scrambling to get the gates open by Saturday, although they could be working down to the wire.

Council workers have been copping abuse from raging drivers due to the gates being shut.

Mr Fisher said the conditions were extreme, with around a dozen people needing rescuing in the last week alone.

Three of those people were rescued on Thursday night after they ended up stranded on the Lost World track.

“We’re asking people to prepare warm, waterproof clothing, mobile phone, etc. Treat it like an adventure into the wilderness,” Mr Fisher said.

“This weekend won’t be as horrendous as it was last weekend, but it’s still an extreme environment. It’s not a suburb of Hobart; it is another world.”

Last weekend’s blizzard saw sub zero temperatures, white-out conditions, and bitterly cold winds created treacherous conditions on the mountain.

Mr Fisher said some of the stranded hikers would likely have died had they not carried mobile phones which allowed them to call for help.

During the rescue operations, crews were hampered due to the hundreds of illegally parked cars along Pinnacle Road last weekend.

This weekend a traffic control station will be established at the Springs to regulate the flow of vehicles travelling past this point up to the summit.

A limit of 150 vehicles will be allowed past the Springs at any point in time, matching the number of parking spaces available at the summit car park, near Big Bend and the Chalet.

The kunanyi/Mt Wellington Explorer Bus will still be allowed up to Pinnacle Road above the Springs, as will minibuses up to 9 metres long.

City of Hobart parking officers will patrol on the mountain and will be handing out fines to people parking illegally.

Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Belinda House said conditions up on Mount Wellington were expected to be reasonably settled for sightseers.

“Conditions are much milder for the weeks to come. We’re not expecting any further snow to fall this week to add to what’s already there,” Ms House said.

“The earliest chance of any more snow falling on top of the mountain is about this time next week. We’re watching the development of another cold front at the end of next week.”

[e-mail]