2008 Sydney snowfall

The 2008 Sydney Snowfall was the first in the Sydney metropolitan area since 1836.

Background

On July 28, 2008, a vigorous cold front approached from the south. This particular system had already dumped several centimetres of snow on the Snowy Mountains. Due to the southerly nature of the wind, precipitation was observed on the eastern (lee) side of the Great Dividing Range. The initial cold pocket of air with the front, combined with moist on shore winds from the Pacific Ocean gave rise to isolated thunderstorms which dropped temperatures dramatically. This was not a snowfall

Impact

Hail was first observed at Camden, a city in New South Wales, some 50 km (31 miles) southwest of the Sydney CBD. As the storm cells moved northwards, hail mixed with a bit of ice- a "wintry mix", was observed in Meadowbank and Concord, both outer suburbs of the city of Sydney itself. Extra elevation (up to 200 m (650') AMSL) in the northern suburbs of Lindfield and Roseville allowed the hail to coalesce into graupel snowflakes. The air temperature dropped to around freezing at the height of the thunderstorms, to the bemusement of many residents who had never seen snow in their district before. After the storm had passed, people were seen making snowmen, playing in the 'winter wonderland' and staring agape at the scene before them.

This freak event cane after several abnormal weather patterns in the Sydney region, for example the "non" summer of 2007-08, and heatwaves in October 2006 and 2007.

ee also

Climate of Australia

References

* [http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0727/sydney.html RTE]
* [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24085967-5005941,00.html?from=public_rss AAP]