IT may be the middle of spring but the Alpine peaks and their surrounding towns turned into a wintry wonderland as a cold blast swept through the state over the weekend.
Mount Hotham and Dinner Plain recorded more than 30 centimeters of fresh snow while Falls Creek was blanketed in 44 centimeters of white.
It is also believed to have snowed in Bright, Harrietville and Wandilgong with many locals taking to social media to share their stunning snow snaps.
Ski lifts were temporarily closed as a result of the coronavirus and metropolitan Melbourne’s lockdown measures but the alpine resorts have been able to reopen to regional Victorians, just in time for what could be the last snow play of the year.
Falls Creek Resort Management communications and marketing manager, Sarah Watt, said businesses were excited to welcome tourists back to the area, despite operating at reduced capacity.
“Due to the bushfires last summer, followed by COVID, many of the businesses at Falls Creek haven’t been fully operational since January,” she said.
“The resort is spectacular now, with lovely spring days, blossoming native flowers and plenty of walking trails to be explored.”
Access to the resorts is free for the remainder of the season but all visitors must pre-register online before arrival.
Down the mountain, it was a wet and windy weekend with the TAFCO weather station recording 16.4mm of rain on Friday and another 15mm on Saturday in Myrtleford.
Porepunkah was drenched in 27.8mm of rain on Friday with another wet day on Saturday bringing 18.6mm.
Rosewhite received 19.2mm, its biggest downpour this September. It also recorded its coldest minimum temperature for the month in the early hours of Monday morning reaching just -1.1 degrees.
September has been notably warmer than normal but Myrtleford received 66.6mm and Porepunkah 85.4mm for the month compared to 40.8mm and 60.6mm respectively last year.
This month’s rainfall has sparked a warning from Goulburn-Murray Water (GMW) who have warned residents with dams on their properties to prepare for flooding that could take place if a La Nina weather pattern develops.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecast upgraded its La Niña outlook from watch to alert this month.
“We recently wrote to our customers who may have a potentially hazardous dam, asking that they take some general precautions including inspecting and monitoring dams, clearing spillways and outlet pipes to help pass flood water, and repairing any cracks and other defects,” GMW general manager water delivery services, Warren Blyth said.
