Tasmania experiences rare summer snowfall as parts of the island wake to a white Christmas
Tasmania woke up to a rare summer snowfall this Christmas Day; Snow fell on the higher parts of the island and covered the Kunanyi/Mt Wellington summit above Hobart with dust.
As the effects of the cold outbreak continued to be seen in the state, which started late Tuesday and continued until Wednesday, snow was recorded up to 700 meters above sea level.
Weatherzone said summer snowfall was driven by moisture-laden air mass from the polar regions and pushed northwards over Tasmania by the meridional wave in the jet stream.
This phenomenon is responsible for the mottled cloud patterns that can be seen over coastal parts of Tasmania and the southeastern mainland.
Summer snow occurs at least once each year in Tasmania’s highlands and mainland southeast, but it’s lucky timing that this year’s snowflakes fell just in time for Christmas Day.
Snow was reported at ski resorts on the mainland earlier this month, and Tasmania saw showers just a week ago as bushfires continued in the state’s east.
Meteorologists note that during the summer months, cold fronts from the Southern Ocean generally drift southward, and occasionally unstable polar air can move northward, pushing snow to higher altitudes.
For residents and visitors to the island, Christmas Day snowfall offers a rare opportunity to enjoy a winter wonderland in the middle of the Australian summer.
