Winter 2024

July 28th Outbreak

This event was looking quite cold in the lower levels (approx. -4C at 850hPa) so there was some hope for snow, even though the system looked to stabilise and 'ridge out' very quickly. That is, surface pressure quickly increased as a high pressure system moved in and inhibited uplift and strong cloud development. Thanks to those lovely and cold lower levels, Blackheath saw some fun snow showers from around 7.30am to 8.30am - even enough to settle a little. The temperature bottomed out at -0.3C, so even those of us that like to see it drop below zero for a proper snowfall, were happy. Lithgow had snow showers, Katoomba too and even a few flakes and sleet at Wentworth Falls. At -28C at 500hPa, -13C at 700hPa and around -3C or so at 850hPa, this was a fairly impressive cold air mass but the higher pressure and absence of any closely associated low pressure system, just didn't produce much moisture for us.This is becoming more common in the 21st Century as frontal systems are dominated more by high pressure. Still, with a 'wind-chill' temperature of around -10C at times, it was very chilly!

July 15th/16th/17th Outbreak

This was a fun event with some nice snow showers and a settling at Shooters Hill on 17/7, to about 3cm or so. The precipitation ebbed and flowed from cold rain, sleet, graupel, snow grains and snow - as the moisture profile in the atmosphere was quite shallow and fragmented. Snow showers vary in intensity, just like summer showers, so some areas can see nice snow and others not - even over very short distance from each other. Blackheath and Katoomba saw sleet showers with some nice snowflakes amidst the rain at times but never really a proper snowfall as the temperature remained above 1C the whole time.