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A cold front crossing Tas, Vic and southern NSW is bringing showers, strong winds and the odd storm, falling as snow over the Alps and Tas highlands. High pressure elsewhere is bringing largely clear and settled conditions, while easing winds and showers over SA.
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Today, 1:09AM UTC
Snow falls to low levels in Tasmania
Heavy snow has fallen across Tasmania, with light snow falling to levels as low as 600 metres, while snowfall totals likely exceeded 20 centimetres at some locations above about 1000 metres. Tasmania’s highest peak is Mt Ossa at 1617 metres, the iconic Cradle Mountain is 1545 m, while kunanyi/Mt Wellington towers above Hobart at 1271 metres. So any time snow falls to 600 metres, a good proportion of the state will have a coating of white. This was the scene at Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre on Tuesday morning. Image: Footsteps in the snow at Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre, Tasmania, on July 14, 2026. Source: Mike Pole. And this was the very wintry scene high on kunanyi/Mt Wellington above Hobart just after 10 am. At that time, the Pinnacle Road to the summit was closed at The Springs, at an elevation of 720 metres. Image: No footsteps in the snow yet at the kunanyi/Mt Wellington summit due to the closed road. Source: hobartcity.com.au. What caused the heavy snowfall? A series of troughs embedded in a persistent westerly stream crossed Tasmania overnight, bringing frequent bands of moisture accompanied by frigid air which was driven north from latitudes near Antarctica. Image: 12-hour satellite and radar loop over Tasmania and nearby mainland areas to 4 am on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. Hobart received 19.4 mm of rainfall overnight, which made it the city’s second-wettest day of the year to date, while numerous Tasmanian locations received rainfall totals in the 25 to 50 mm range. Tasmania’s only commercial ski resort – Ben Lomond near Launceston – reported only 4-5 centimetres of fresh snow overnight, however its location in the northeast of the state is not always conducive to heavy falls from westerly weather systems. Good and bad news for the mainland snowfields The image below illustrates how the airmass that passed across Tasmania overnight was significantly colder than the airmass over the ski resorts of Victoria and New South Wales on the southeastern corner of the mainland. Image: 850 hPa temperatures and mean sea level pressure over southern Australia and nearby waters at 1 am (AEST) on July 14, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. Overnight, snow fell only on the uppermost slopes of the mainland resorts. At lower levels, rain fell. Ever since a cold front arrived late on Saturday, ushering in a four-day flow of strong westerly winds and persistent moisture over the Australian Alps, there have been two distinct bursts of snowfall with two periods of rain at all but the highest elevations. The higher resorts have still benefited from this system. At least 25 centimetres of snow has fallen at both Perisher and Thredbo, and while rain has eroded some of the snowpack, locals are still saying there has been a net gain overall. As we head towards lunchtime this Tuesday, snow showers are again falling at the ski resorts, with temperatures having dipped ever so slightly. For example, Thredbo Top Station (Australia’s highest weather station) hovered around -0.1°C overnight, which was marginal for snow. But the mercury had dropped to -0.5°C at 9:30 am and was the same temperature at 10:30 am, as the very tip of the cold air over Tasmania pushed northwards. Please check the Weatherzone snow page for the latest forecasts, live snow cams and more. Meanwhile, Canberra and Hobart will be the coldest capitals today, with maximums of 11°C expected. With those persistent westerlies, the apparent or "feels like" temperature will barely break 5°C all day in both cities.
13 Jul 2026, 3:09AM UTC
Wind gust of 163 km/h in Tasmania, the equivalent of category 2 cyclone
A wind gust of 163 km/h was recorded in the southern Tasmanian outpost of Maatsuyker Island around dawn on Monday morning, as a vigorous westerly airstream lashes southeastern Australia. The gust was near the upper limit of the strongest gust you’d typically expect in a category 2 cyclone – meaning it was very close to the equivalent of a category 3 cyclone. But this was no tropical system. The engine of this morning’s cold, fearsome winds was a strong low pressure system centred well south of Australia near Antarctica. Image: Mean sea level pressure and 850 hPa temperatures, showing the position of the low well south of Australia, at 1 am (AEST) on Monday, July 13, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. The wild winds whipped Tasmania ahead of the passage of a cold front, which will cause snow to fall as low as 600 metres above sea level in Tasmania later today. Snow is already falling at the state’s higher elevations. Strongest Tasmanian wind gust since 2024, NSW and Vic gusts also exceed 100 km/h The 163 km/h gust at Maatsuyker Island was the equal-strongest recorded gust at the site (or anywhere in Tasmania) since August 2024. The weather station is situated on an elevated clifftop near the lighthouse on the island’s southwestern tip, where a gust of 163 km/h was also recorded in October 2025. Other Tasmanian locations where gusts exceeded 100 km/h included: Tasman Island, 120 km/h gust at 10:43 am Kunanyi/Mt Wellington above Hobart, 117 km/h gust at 1:42 am Scotts Peak, 139 km/h gust at 5:51 am Wind gusts exceeding 100 km/h at locations in New South Wales and Victoria over the weekend and into Monday morning included: Thredbo Top Station (NSW), 119 km/h gust at 10:35 am on Sunday Mt Hotham (Vic), 106 km/h gust at 9:30 pm on Saturday Hogan Island (Vic) in northern Bass Strait, around 40 km south of Wilsons Promontory, 106 km/h gust at 12:23 am this Monday Falls Creek (Vic) 102 km/h gust at 11:05 pm on Sunday The combined radar and satellite loop on Monday morning (below) shows bands of cloud and moisture rapidly moving across Tasmania and the southeastern mainland, shoved along by those fierce westerlies. Image: Combined satellite and radar loop for SE Australia for the eight hours to 10:30 am (AEST) on Monday, July 13, 2026. Source: Weatherzone. This is a typically stormy weather pattern for southern Australia in winter, with severe weather warnings for damaging winds in place this Monday for the Snowy Mountains of NSW, parts of Victoria, and numerous forecast districts in Tasmania, especially in the state’s north. Blizzards with a little rain thrown into the mix Significant snowfalls have occurred with this system from Saturday onwards, with a brief surge of very cold air early on Sunday morning bringing snow as far north as the summit of 1397-metre Mt Canobolas, near Orange on the NSW Central Tablelands. The higher alpine resorts like Perisher and Thredbo in NSW have reported around 25 centimetres of snow to date from this event. Unfortunately for snow enthusiasts, the snow turned to rain below about 1700 metres on Sunday evening, with a mix of precipitation of both the frozen and unfrozen variety continuing into Monday. Image: Unfortunately that is a rainbow, not a "snowbow" over the High Noon run at Thredbo, NSW, on Monday morning. Source: "Rusty" via ski.com.au. A fresh surge of cold air briefly kicks in later this evening into Tuesday morning, which should add up to 10 centimetres to the snowpack, before the atmosphere over the southeast starts to dry out on Tuesday, with winds easing as a high pressure system dominates the weather for the remainder of the working week. Please check the Weatherzone snow page for the latest snow forecasts, live cam images from the mountains, and more.
12 Jul 2026, 2:06AM UTC
What is the best whale watching weather for NSW and Queensland?
Between June and November, humpback whales migrate up and down the Australian East Coast, but what are the best weather conditions to spot these giant animals? Whale migration season from June to November The migration season varies from year to year based on predator and prey abundance, sea ice, water temperatures and locations of feeding and breeding grounds. Image: Humpback whale breaching off the southeast Queensland coast. Source: iStock / mevans During the Southern Hemisphere summer, humpbacks are found near Antarctica feeding on krill. Each year, around 40-50,000 of these giants of the ocean complete a 4,000-5,000 kilometre journey north along the Australian East Coast from June to August, to their warm sub-tropical breeding ground waters. They then migrate back down south to the feeding grounds from September to November. Proximity to the coast, for easy viewing from land, will usually depend on weather, ocean currents and temperatures, and abundance of prey and/or predators. Typically, young boisterous males lead the migration, while pregnant females/cows (northbound) and mother-infant/cow-calf pairs (southbound) close up the rear. Image: A warm core ocean eddy sitting off the Sydney coast during much of June and July 2026 has likely meant whales have tracked north further offshore. Source: OceanCurrent/IMOS The best whale watching weather The best weather for spotting whales will include: Bright, clear and sunny skies Calm seas Gentle winds (preferably westerly in direction and under 15 knots) Bright, clear and sunny skies from around mid-morning (10-11:00am) to mid-afternoon (2-3:00pm) provide the highest visibility and least glare on the ocean surface. Calm seas with small swell and gentle winds under about 15 knots keep the surface of the ocean clean, increasing the chances of spotting breaches, tail slaps and spouts from whales without confusing them for waves or whitecaps. These conditions are also excellent for jumping on a whale watching cruise, minimising the risk of seasickness. Westerly winds also minimise ocean chop near the coast, while bringing clear, dry air from the land, improving the visibility. Westerly winds can also lead to upwelling of nutrients, drawing whales closer to the coast. Video: Crisp clear skies and offshore winds move off the NSW and southeast Queensland coast following passage of a cold front on Sunday, July 12, 2026. Source: Weatherzone Some of the best periods for whale watching can come after the passage of cold fronts over southern Australia. These weather systems bring dry westerly winds that increase visibility and flatten the ocean – increasing the chances of seeing whales once winds die down! The best whale watching spots By mid-July, much of the whale migration is well underway, making it the perfect NSW and Queensland school holiday activity to go stand on a headland and keep a watchful eye for any breaches offshore. Hervey Bay is one of the best places to see humpbacks. The warm, calm and protected waters nestled behind K'Gari (Fraser Island) are the perfect place for mothers and newborn whales to rest and play, and for humans to hop aboard cruises and even swim with whales. Humpbacks are often found in Hervey Bay between August and October. Image: Satellite imagery on Saturday, July 11, 2026 showing clear skies across the Hervey Bay area, perfect for viewing whales. Source: Weatherzone More properly on the "humpback highway" K'Gari, Moreton and Stradbroke islands, along with Noosa Heads and the Gold Coast jut out into the Pacific Ocean enough to make for fantastic land-based whale watching. Image: Marine conditions and forecast for the Gold Coast and Southeast Qld Coast on Sunday, July 12, 2026, as seen on the Weatherzone App. South of the border, notable locations along the NSW coastline include: Byron Bay Lighthouse Muttonbird Island (Coffs Coast) Tacking Point Lighthouse (Port Macquarie) Cape Hawke Lookout (Forster) Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse (Seal Rocks) Broulee Island (South Coast) Eden (Saphire Coast) In Sydney, Cape Solander is considered the best coastal viewpoint for whale watching. North Head, Long Reef Headland and Barrenjoey Lighthouse are also great spots to watch the migrating giants from land. Image: A breaching humpback whale just outside Sydney Harbour's heads. Source: iStock / PomInOz Whether catching a cruise offshore to see whales up close or hiking up a headland with a pair of binoculars, be sure to check weather conditions beforehand on the Weatherzone App so you make sure you have a "whale" of a time.