Cold brings warnings and snow wonder to Tasmania

UPDATED 8AM: TASMANIA Police have advised of multiple road closures and closed schools due to snow.

TASMANIA Police have advised of multiple road closures across the state this morning as the state wakes up to snow down to very low levels.

Snowfalls to very low levels are forecast to continue today until midmorning, rising from then to about 500m until the wet weather clears later in the day.

There are a multitude of weather and road warnings as well as road and school closures.

School closures

Some of Tasmania’s Government schools are closed today due to snowy weather conditions and road closures.

Schools affected by closures will contact parents via the usual means, including SMS, with arrangements in place to ensure all students are supervised until they are collected.

The following schools are confirmed closed:

— Blackmans Bay

— Bothwell District High

— Collinsvale Primary

— Cygnet Primary

— Dover District

— Franklin Primary

— Geeveston Primary

— Glen Huon Primary

— Hobart College

— Huonville High

— Huonville Primary

— Illawarra Primary

— Kingston High

— Kingston Primary

— Margate Primary

— Oatlands District School

— Ogilve District School

— Snug Primary

— Southern Support School

— Westerway Primary

— Woodbridge District High

— Hutchins School is closed as well as all non-government schools in Cygnet and Kingston.

Road closures

The Tasmania Police has crashed, unable to display its list of road closures and community alerts since about 6.30am.

Police said their Facebook page was the best place to find updates, conditions were changing “by the minute”.

Police have closed the Midlands Hwy from St Peters Pass southbound; the Southern Outlet between Kingston and Hobart in the south, and Channel Highway from Kingston to Hobart to all vehicles except 4WD. Police have also closed the Huon Highway from Grove to Kingston. the Channel Highway between Margate and Kingston has reopened to all traffic.

In other areas of the south:

— The Tasman Hwy between Runnymede and Buckland is closed.

— Pinnacle Rd, Mt Wellington is closed at the intersection of Bracken Lane.

— Huon Rd, South Hobart, is closed at the Strickland Rd intersection.

— Huon Hwy from Kingston to Franklin is closed.

— Woodbridge Hill Rd is closed to 4WD vehicles only.

— Vinces Saddle is closed.

— Collinsvale and Glen Lusk roads are closed from Berriedale.

— Summerleas Rd, Kingston (north and south-bound) is closed between Huon Hwy and Southern Outlet.

— Spring Hill, Midland Hwy, between Lovely Banks and Jericho is closed.

— Proctors Rd between Baintree Rd and Olinda Grove is closed.

— Highlands Lake Rd from Moina to Hamilton is closed.

In other areas roads are closed at:

— Anthony Rd from Murchison Hwy to Zeehan.

— Lyell Highway between Queenstown and Wayatinah.

Motorists should also use caution on:

— Murchison Highway between Rosebery to the Waratah turn off is open to 4WD vehicles only due to large amounts of hail on the road.

Ridgley Highway from Waratah to Belvior Road is open to 4WD vehicles only.

— Ridgley Highway from Belvior Road to Tullah is open to 4WD vehicles only.

— Ridgley Highway at Highclere south 4WD only.

Motorists should use caution in Sheffield and surrounding areas due to snow falling and starting to settle.

For other road closures, visit www.police.tas.gov.au/community-alerts/

Bureau of Meteorology regional director John Bally said yesterday: “Cold air, associated with a broad low pressure system well to the south of the state, will bring showers, with snow forecast across the state to low elevations, but near sea level about the west and south,” he said.

Enjoying the snow at The Springs on Mt Wellington yesterday were Zofia and Jozef Soszynski, of New Town. Their mother, Eleanor Braithwaite, said it was “good for the soul” to get out and enjoy the outdoors in winter.

“The kids said it was great to put the iPads down and get into nature,” she said.

The Bureau has issued a number of warnings for today, including a road weather alert warning of snow-covered roads in many areas, and a flood watch for all north-eastern river basins and the Huon.

Weather warnings can be viewed at www.bom.gov.au.