ID :
193725
Fri, 07/08/2011 - 13:16
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/193725
The shortlink copeid
Heavy snowfall across ski fields
SYDNEY (AAP) - July 08 - Heavy snow has fallen across the Victorian and NSW ski fields in time for the school holidays.
Large dumps of snow blanketed the Victorian alps in the first week of the school holidays, with resorts offering the best conditions of the season.
Falls Creek spokesman Ian Talbot said snow levels had exceeded one metre over some runs of the mountain after the mercury plummeted to minus five degrees Celsius on Thursday night.
"It's like North American snow," Mr Talbot told AAP.
"It's like somebody's turned the tap on."
Across the NSW border, there were heavy falls in the Snowy Mountains, with Snowy Hydro at Spencers Creek reporting record depths.
The Weather Channel's Ben Domensino reported on Friday that the 21-year record snowfall resulted from a series of cold fronts that swept across Tasmania, Victoria and NSW over the past week.
"These fronts were embedded in a persistent south-westerly airstream, which has been drawing cool Antarctic air north over the region," Mr Domensino said.
"Over the weekend, further frontal activity is expected to affect the country's southeast and, as a result, alpine snow will remain a weather feature through this region until Sunday."
In Victoria, advanced terrain at Falls Creek opened for the first time on Friday, a week into the school holidays, and 11 out of 15 lifts have opened to the public.
At Mount Hotham, the snow depth reached 92 centimetres, while at Mount Buller the snow level reached 52cm.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Chris Godfred said another strong front was due to pass through Victoria over the weekend but would not adversely affect snow levels.
Large dumps of snow blanketed the Victorian alps in the first week of the school holidays, with resorts offering the best conditions of the season.
Falls Creek spokesman Ian Talbot said snow levels had exceeded one metre over some runs of the mountain after the mercury plummeted to minus five degrees Celsius on Thursday night.
"It's like North American snow," Mr Talbot told AAP.
"It's like somebody's turned the tap on."
Across the NSW border, there were heavy falls in the Snowy Mountains, with Snowy Hydro at Spencers Creek reporting record depths.
The Weather Channel's Ben Domensino reported on Friday that the 21-year record snowfall resulted from a series of cold fronts that swept across Tasmania, Victoria and NSW over the past week.
"These fronts were embedded in a persistent south-westerly airstream, which has been drawing cool Antarctic air north over the region," Mr Domensino said.
"Over the weekend, further frontal activity is expected to affect the country's southeast and, as a result, alpine snow will remain a weather feature through this region until Sunday."
In Victoria, advanced terrain at Falls Creek opened for the first time on Friday, a week into the school holidays, and 11 out of 15 lifts have opened to the public.
At Mount Hotham, the snow depth reached 92 centimetres, while at Mount Buller the snow level reached 52cm.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Chris Godfred said another strong front was due to pass through Victoria over the weekend but would not adversely affect snow levels.
