Prosper in a dynamic world
Search

Tasmanian snow and tropical lows

The first significant snowfall of autumn 2024 has fallen across higher elevations of Tasmania as a cold front whipped through southeastern Australia overnight, while tropical lows continue to dominate the pattern in northern Australia.

This was the Wednesday morning scene at Mt Mawson, a tiny club-operated ski field about two hours northwest of Hobart.

Image: Just a dusting. Source: Mt Mawson.

Interestingly, the snow was heavier in the state’s northwest at Ben Lomond, Tasmania’s only commercial ski resort, about an hour east of Launceston.

Image: The snow cam image is a bit blurry and foggy, but locals are reporting a good 5 cm with snow still falling on Wednesday morning. Source: ski.com.au.

You can see the heavy band of rain and snow showers that passed through northwestern Tasmania in the loop below. The loop covers the three hours from 3 am up to 6 am as temperatures started to drop and became cold enough for snow to settle.

The loop also shows the remnants of ex-Tropical Cyclone Megan which is expected to continue delivering showers and potentially flooding rain through parts of the inland Northern Territory as it tracks southwards before dissipating.

Also visible is the low off the northwest Western Australian coastline, which is expected to become Tropical Cyclone Neville by Thursday morning. We’ll keep you posted on that one.

The broad-scale picture adds up to a classic autumn mix for Australia, with weather associated with summer up north and weather associated with winter down south. That seems pretty appropriate as the autumn equinox falls today, March 20.

For those interested in the capital city weather, the cold front has already moved through Adelaide, Melbourne, and Hobart, dropping temps significantly in those cities and most places in between. Sydney will cop a cold blast later on Wednesday afternoon, as detailed in this story, while Canberra can expect almost a week of nights with single-digit minimums in the cool, dry air in the wake of the front.

Weatherzone Business has grown to become the outright leader within the Australian energy market, serving wind, solar, hydro, trading, utilities and network companies.

You can’t control the weather, but you can gain precision insights to optimise your response. What lights us up is providing your energy business with tailored weather information to reduce your risk and keep you moving ahead of the curve. 

Our services cover all aspects – from wind and solar generation to demand forecasts, wholesale markets to retail so, no matter where your company sits, we have solutions for you. We have worked closely with market participants to create products that meet the evolving needs of the sector, aiming to increase safety and profitability for our customers. 

Benefit from the timely delivery of accurate weather information, allowing informed and effective decision-making. For more information, please contact us at apac.sales@dtn.com. 

Latest news

Satisfy your weather obsession with these news headlines from around the nation, and the world.

Signs of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, but it may not follow the textbook

Waters off Indonesia have cooled in recent weeks, an indication that a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) event could be developing. It’s an important climate driver for Australia, and it could shape rainfall and temperatures heading into summer, with flow-on effects for farmers, energy and other industries.  What is the Indian Ocean Dipole?  The IOD […]

1.3 million lightning strikes and a record September downpour: the storms testing WA’s Goldfields

Leonora, WA, had its wettest September day on record earlier this month. Three weeks later, more than 1.3 million lightning pulses were detected within 800 km of the town in 48 hours. Why is a stalled trough delivering storms to mining country, and what it could mean for operations?  The DTN Total Lightning Network detected […]

A very low wind power week, likely to continue

A stubborn blocking high over southern Australia will make for a very quiet week for wind generation and the pattern behind it isn’t a one-off.   It’s the seasonal signature of a super (very strong) El Niño combined with a positive Southern Annular Mode (SAM), and both the historical record and the current seasonal forecast suggest it’s likely to keep recurring through spring before a potential switch from November.  The setup right […]

Fastest strengthening El Niño on record: Impacts on Australian monsoon timing and wet season planning

Australia’s Mining and Resources sectors are bracing for a wet season shaped by one of the most rapidly developing El Niño events on record.    Looking back at how the strongest El Niño events in Australian history have played out, it becomes apparent that mining operations in Australia should be planning for a later monsoon […]