Snow in Australia is rare at sea level, but is common on the highlands of the southeast, in the states of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and in the Australian Capital Territory. Snow has been recorded in every state and territory, though among the state capitals only Canberra, Hobart and Melbourne have recorded snow. However it is much more common in the regional areas, with the cities of Orange and Ballarat featuring annual snowfalls and populations of over 40,000 and 120,000 respectively. Snow sports are well established in Australia's south-east and Tasmania, though climate change has substantially reduced natural snowfall and opportunities for snowmaking at Australian resorts, particularly at the lower elevations, representing a threat to the viability of Australia's ski industry. The Antarctic oscillation (AAO) is the primary driver for snow in Australia, where a negative phase allows cold airmasses off the Roaring Forties to push further north. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) also play a role, though mainly in rainfall; there is a strong reduction in alpine snowfall during years of El Niño coupled with +IOD phases. Non-alpine and low-lying areas however tend to benefit from El Niño, as they are much more reliant on cold air than rainfall, being associated with a weaker jet stream that allows cold air to be displaced more readily to Australian latitudes.
Climatology
Incidence and variability Only in the Australian Alps in the southeast and in the mountains of Tasmania does a winter snowpack develop. Areas that do get snowfalls most winters but do not develop a winter snowpack include the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, the Central Highlands and Otway Ranges of Victoria, and the low lands of Tasmania. Snowfall elsewhere is an unusual event.
Snowfall in Australia is highly variable according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. For example in 1973 temperatures remained too warm for much snow, while 1981 saw deep snow followed by a winter almost too dry for snow in 1982. However, historically most other years saw abundant winter snow. The unpredictability of Australian snow conditions was again highlighted in 2006 when a severe drought and poor snow season gave way to a "White Christmas" in December (early summer): abundant snow falls in the alpine regions of New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania and even a low-level snowfall on 25 December in the Dandenong Ranges, a low mountain range on Melbourne's eastern suburban fringe.
Low altitude and low-moderate latitude; as well as seasonal (early spring) dust storms in the Simpson Desert depositing red dust on the ranges (causing less UV reflection and therefore faster melting), keep the snow season relatively short (June–Oct). Heavy snow can fall however, at any time between April and December in the Australian High Country, with areas like Mount Dandenong receiving snow in December. In past decades heavy natural snow seasons have seen the snowpack reach 3 metres (9.8 ft) or more at its maximum depth in August, at an elevation of 1,830 metres (6,000 ft), Spencers Creek, the Australian Alps, New South Wales, but the last time this happened was in 1992.
Climate change
The Australian snow season varies greatly from year to year, however precise measurements since 1954 confirm a significant declining trend in the average maximum snow depth, with a downward tendency of about 0.4–0.6 cm (depending on altitude) per year since 1954. This is a result of increasing temperatures and decreasing cold extremes in the winter, leading to an increase in alpine rain events and less reliable snowfalls. The years 2023 and 2024 had very weak snow seasons owing to the remarkably warm conditions from June to July, and drier than normal August to September with extreme high mean temperature anomalies. Since 1950, the Australian Alps' annual average temperature has risen by around 1.4 degrees Celsius. Australia's ski resorts are located near the top of the highest mountains in Australia with little scope to relocate to higher altitudes if the existing ski fields become too warm.
Alpine areas
Australian Alps (mainland)
In southern New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and eastern Victoria, the elevated regions of the Snowy Mountains, Brindabella Range and Victorian Alps experience an alpine climate, where the areas above 1,400 metres (4,600 ft) are subject to a consistent winter snowpack. Heavy snow normally occurs down to around 900 metres (3,000 ft) above sea level, especially on the western side of the ranges, while lighter and more sporadic snowfalls occur down to 600 metres (2,000 ft) most years. Kiandra, Cabramurra and Perisher Valley receive an average of 47.5, 53.2 and 60.2 snowy days annually, respectively – elevations are 1,395 metres (4,577 ft), 1,475 metres (4,839 ft) and 1,735 metres (5,692 ft) in that order. For northern hemisphere comparison, Kiandra receives more annual snowy days than Toronto (41 days) and Harbin (45 days), with Cabramurra tying with Winnipeg (54 days) and Perisher Valley with Buffalo, New York (60 days). In the Victorian Alps, Falls Creek, Mount Hotham and Mount Buller receive 61.2, 66.1 and 67.6 snowy days, respectively. Elevations are 1,765 metres (5,791 ft), 1,783 metres (5,850 ft) and 1,707 metres (5,600 ft) in that order. For northern hemisphere comparison, Mount Hotham receives slightly more snowy days than Syracuse, New York (65.5 days), and Mount Buller receives almost the same amount of snowy days as Warsaw (68 days). In the Gippsland region, the alpine areas of Mount Baw Baw, 1,567 metres (5,141 ft) and Mount St Gwinear, 1,509 metres (4,951 ft), are prominent snow destinations, both situated within the Baw Baw Plateau. These peaks experience snowfall primarily driven by moist southerly and south-westerly airstreams funneled through the Latrobe Valley via Bass Strait, contributing to their relatively high snowfall amounts despite their low elevations compared to other resorts. Due to their extreme southern latitude they are more susceptible to snowfalls outside of winter and even in late spring and summer.
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