Parts of New South Wales have received a dumping of snow, just days before winter is officially over.
Key points:
- The SES responded to 14 call-outs in the 24 hours to 7am
- Motorists in parts of the state are warned to watch for black ice
- Some roads are shut and trains are delayed
The heaviest falls have been reported in the Blue Mountains and Lithgow, as well as higher ground at Orange and Bathurst.
“This is the most we’ve had this season,” Orange-district farmer Graeme Eastwood said.
“There’s about an inch of cover everywhere and the dog looks happy enough keeping out of it.
“When I came home last night about six o’clock there wasn’t really any settled but by about eight o’clock there was about an inch.”
The freezing conditions have created dangerous driving conditions for motorists, with black ice forming on some roads.
The Great Western Highway is closed between Katoomba and Mount Victoria, while Bells Line of Road is shut between Bell and Lithgow.
The State Emergency Service (SES) said it had responded to about 14 calls for help in the past day, mainly due to the wet weather and storms.
“The main concern for road users is that black ice this morning specifically around the Blue Mountains area, so between Katoomba and Mount Victoria,” SES acting superintendent Joshua Clarke said.
Black ice is a thin coating of transparent ice on roads, which is often invisible to motorists.
The ice hinders both the grip of car tires and the effectiveness of brakes.
“Allow that extra distance between yourself and the car in front of you,” Mr Clarke said.
“Slow down. And if you think you’ve slowed down enough, it doesn’t hurt to take it down a bit further.”
The Transport Management Centre said it was unsure when the Great Western Highway and Bells Line of Road would reopen.
Transport for New South Wales said it had sent out crews on Tuesday night to lay salt to try to prevent black ice.
The Barrington Tops in the New South Wales Upper Hunter region also received snow overnight.
Up to 30 centimetres was reported at Mount Polblue in the national park and 10 centimetres at Dingo Gate.
“The Northern Tablelands also received a light dusting,” Helen Kirkup from the Bureau of Meteorology said.
“But we’re not expecting any more snow for quite some time. That system has taken what little snowfall there was and moved it out to sea.”
(Supplied: Rob B)