Hi Everyone. I've been with weatherzone for a few years now, but i am new to this forum. As it is nearly Autumn, I got thinking of how nice it would be to see some snow in Melbourne. I'm local and live near Mount Dandenong, but I'm curious to hear any stories of anyone who has seen snow falling in the suburbs of Melbourne. I've heard stories of snow in Endeavour Hills,Dandenong, Carlton, Seaford, Eltham, Berwick and so on and want to hear more. I am also curious to see some photos of snowfalls in Melbourne's suburbs or outskirts. May I start off with the memory of snow falling in Dandenong and Rowville on the 10th of August 2005.

well dont have time for the formal research but heres a few anecdotes.
1. around 1860 ish they had about 25 cm in Melbourne from memory ?
2. 1984 ish there was a reasonable fall in the dandenongs and outer eastern suburbs. Remember a ten news helicopter shot of some guys doing telemark turns on Olinda golf course ....

The '1860' fall was actually in 1849 (the reports I've seen were of 10-15cm in central Melbourne). This is the only known instance of snow settling in the Melbourne CBD.

The most recent report of snow falling (not settling) in central Melbourne was in September 1995. Probably the most significant falls of the 20th century occurred three weeks apart in July and August 1951; both had settling snow in inner suburbs, but not in the CBD.

Of course falls are much more frequent in the Dandenongs, and to a lesser extent in the more elevated northern and eastern suburbs.

Thanks Blair , sorry didnt have time to look it up earlier

I actually hadnt heard of the 1860 one. Have a news article from July 51 at home. The temps at Essendon airport that day are remarkable, 7 ish at 830 -9 in the morning then front goes through with temps dropping to 1-2 degrees in middle of day before settling around 4 in the pm and evening. Snow up to an inch from about my place east across to eastern burbs roughly in a line north of CBD.

Sep 95 in the morning I saw a brief flurry at home, was that the 4th of that month??

May 2000 with temp at 4.2 and thunder rumbling I did see some funny looking blobby rain around the backyard lights.

Was not snow reported in Berwick area in 82 or so?

Also recently Aug 05 in bayside suburbs?

Many times people confuse hail/graupel with snow in Melbourne and suburbs. There have been numerous occasions where there has been soft hail with very cold temps (around 6C or thereabouts) in Melbourne with showers and it has looked for all the world like snow but closer inspection clearly reveals hail/graupel.

I've recorded graupel here that has started as rain but then froze upon impact as it hit objects such as car windshields etc.
The temp on these occasions has been around 5C so this phenomena may happen well above freezing level.

Ruckle, I'd be pretty interested to somehow have a lokk at that article from 1951. Is there any way you could scan it. If you don't mind sharing that is.

Northdandy, I'm looking, I know it has not been thrown out but I have alot of umm junk. Will keep searching.

i could bet my life savings that i will not get snow this year

I lived in Ballarat for 4 years, saw snow each year, the only other place close to Melbourne (apart from the ski fields) I've seen snow was on the outskirts of Geelong.

i lived in Ballarat for 2 years and got snow once and the 2 years in Little River and got nothing but wind and rain.

I would pay for snow

I have a bit of a summary on my website of the 10th August 2005 event (which didn't bring snow to me), and some amazing photos from Korumburra by Dane Newman. On that page there are other links to websites from the same event too, although some no longer work.

http://www.stormygirl.net/pastweatherevents.htm

The only snow I recall falling in Melbourne inner suburbs in my lifetime was 25th July 1986. I was walking in the school gate in Camberwell with snow flakes settling on my hair and shoulders!It was amazing, and one which I will never forget! Unfortunately, no photos though.

I also have photos from in the Dandenongs on 10th August 2008 and 17th/18th July 2007, although no snow fell in melbourne's inner subs on those days either.

Scanned versions of a lot of Australian newspapers that are out of copyright (which goes up to 1954, I think) are available on the National Library's website (www.nla.gov.au).

I remember 2 events of snow around Melbourne. 2005 event I remember waking up to the sound of heavy rain and wind and feeling cold and the radio said the current temprature was around 2c; which really only occurs in frosty weather was suprising. Driving to the station that day and the rain on the windscreen just suddenly turned to Ice. On the train I noticed snow on the ground from footscray to north melbourne. Kensington station was about 1 inch deep and totally white. Althou I saw no snow in the CBD many cars driving in the city had about 6 inches of snow on the roof. Another event was late 60s (not sure of exact date) it was very cold and raining all morning at werribee/hoppers crossing when around lunch the rain turned to very heavy snow with large soft snow flakes for about 30 minutes. It never stuck to the ground but stuck to our jumpers, hair and car windscreens. The clouds cleared and the sun came out straight after the snow. I remember the TV commenting on how low the freezing level was over the western suburbs that day.

Tone the "snow" your talking about on the ground in May 2000 between Footscray and North melbourne was actually hail, it hasn't actually snowed and settled in or immediately around Melbourne City since the famous 1984 event...

The event I was referring to was not in may 2005 it was august 1984 or 85. (Not 2005 -losing my mind) The snow was only evident as I left Footscray station but at kensington station it was 100% covered in Snow then by North Melbourne it was only very little.

July 07 event I encountered the change to snow between Gisborne and sunbury on the Calder, closer to Sunbury, gap hill area, was settling by just past the Mt Macedon turn off and all over road mess on the road into Woodend. a great day!

We've had some massive snowfalls up here at times in the past. The last really major one I remember, June 1995 I think it was we had about 5cm at home and most areas down to 500m had widespread 5cm cover, snow settled in Gisborne at around 420m asl. Further up the mountain I swear there would have been about 20cm in parts. Since then though it seems any major falls are confined to around 700m asl+.

There has been the odd occasion in more recent times where the top of hills like Mount Gisborne and Mount Blackwood have been covered white which I can see from the train on the trip into Melbourne. Also around Sunbury there are hills like Mount Holden (412m) which may occasionally get a dusting of snow and that's fairly close to Melb, (39km away).

The best bet for snowfall around here, other than up the mountain would be Trentham (700m asl). They still seem to get several days of snow a year with some really decent falls. Best place to live near Melbourne if you like snow, even better than the Dandenongs IMO as it is a bit higher.

1849 event report, eighty years later.

A great insight into early Melbourne life, as well as the snow and subsequent floods.

http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/4034220

Trentham gets some quite reasonable falls...23 snow & sleet days in 2008, only 11 (mainly sleet) days in 2009.

August 2008



Mt Macedon gets pretty good falls every year
2008
http://www.stormchasers.au.com/winter08.htm

In July 2007, the central ranges had an amazing event which closed roads, and caused total chaos for more than 24 hours!!

Woodend pics



Trentham pics