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Does it snow in Australia?

Does it snow in Australia

Does it snow in Australia?

There are plenty of places to enjoy snow in Australia; some major destinations include the peaks of the Australian Alps, like Perisher, Thredbo, Charlotte Pass, Mt. Hotham, Falls Creek, Mt. Buller, Selwyn, and Mt. Baw Baw.

Yes, there is snow in certain places in Australia. However, it does not generally fall in cities or major population centres. Perhaps the largest cities that experience snow would be Canberra occasionally and the top of nearby Mt Wellington in Hobart. Snowfalls are mainly contained in the highlands and mountain ranges, which are almost exclusively in Victoria and Southern New South Wales, as well as the mountains in Tasmania.

Most people in Australia would refer to travelling “to the snow,” in the same way people in many countries declare that they are travelling “to the beach” or “to the country.”. The Victorian snowfields are generally about a three-hour drive from Melbourne, while the New South Wales snowfields are about 2½ hours from Canberra or about five hours from Sydney.

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Snowfall in the (mainly sea-level) cities is fairly rare; however, the Great Dividing Range, which runs down the east coast and across the southeast corner of Australia, has a large number of peaks and “high country” above 1500m (5000 ft) which experience substantial winter snowfalls.

The Australian Alps, consisting of the Snowy Mountains and the Victorian Alps, have an area of 12,330 km2 (4,760.6 sq mi) and are largely snow-covered during the winter season.

There are nine ski resorts throughout this region, with a total of 263 ski lifts of various types and 390k overnight visitors to these resorts (10% international visitors). Accusation snowfall at the major resorts averages around 2.5 to 3.0 m per year, which is augmented by snowmaking, which produces a typical snow depth of around 1.0 m and sometimes up to 2.0 m.

Does it snow in Australia?

Australia is known for its diverse climate, and snowfall is not common in many parts of the country due to its predominantly warm and arid conditions. However, Australia does experience snowfall in some regions, particularly in the southeastern parts of the country and in the mountainous areas.

The Australian Alps, located in the southeastern states of New South Wales and Victoria, receive snowfall during the winter months. Popular ski resorts such as Thredbo and Perisher in the Snowy Mountains (New South Wales) and Mount Buller in Victoria attract winter sports enthusiasts.

In addition to the Australian Alps, some high-altitude areas in Tasmania may also experience snowfall during the winter season.

It’s important to note that snowfall is generally limited to specific regions and is not a common occurrence across the entire country. Most of Australia experiences a climate ranging from tropical in the north to temperate in the south, with arid or semi-arid conditions prevailing in many areas.

Here is an Australian wine farm with a kangaroo experiencing snow. just to prove my point.

 Victorian snowfields

The locations in Austrlaia that experience snow, however, are all the high altitude locations. these include the

  • snowy mountains
 Does it snow in Australia
  • Tasmanian Highlands
  • Numerous locations along the Great dividing range
 Does it snow in Australia
  • And occasionally… maybe one day a year. South Western Australian peaks
 Victorian snowfields
  • You may also get very, very rare snow falls in the desert once every few decades… but they hardly count.

What you will notice from all those photos is that the snow is not very deep. Australia very rarely experiences snow as thick and deep as that which you get in other areas of the world, and in non-elevated locations, any snowfall is usually molten by midday and washed away.

There are three other locations that Australia lays claim to that experiences snowfall, they are some islands in the Southern Ocean and a third of the Antarctic landmass… but not everyone recognizes this as Australia.

 Does it snow in Australia

The area of snow in Australia in Winter is greater than the area of Switzerland.

As a proportion of the whole area of Australia, though, that is small.

Very occasionally snowfalls to sea level but the last time I know of was 50 years ago. For the most part regular winter snow occurs only above about 1000 metres altitude in the south-east of the country.

For people accustomed to really snowy places a fall of snow in Australia can be entertaining. A school I taught at lies at relatively low altitude surrounded by mountains.

The town was small and many of the students came in from surrounding districts. One winter’s day only half the students made it to school because 2 mm (less than 1/10″) of snow had fallen in the surrounding hills and mountains so the school buses could not operate.

It does snow in some parts of Australia but only a small area and the snow generally thin.

Is it snowing in Australia?

Australia is a country located on the continent of Oceania and officially called the Commonwealth of Australia. Does Australia fall snow? We will see that in the course of this publication, and if snow falls, where does it fall?

By 2018, the country had a total population (estimated) of 25,043,027 inhabitants, having a land area of ​​about 7,741,220 square kilometres. Its population density averaged for the same year was about 3.2 inhabitants per square kilometre.

As for its climate, Australia has several due to its large size and its location within planet Earth. A tropical environment takes shape in the north, while in the southwest and southeast, a temperate climate is estimated.

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The location influences its climate. It is affected by marine currents, the El Niño phenomenon, low-pressure systems, and some other factors.

In the northern part of the nation, which has a tropical climate, it is an area of ​​abundant vegetation, jungle, rainfall, mangroves, forests, etc. Even so, Australia has a large part of its territory that is semi-arid and desert-like. Also, it is considered the driest, flattest country with the least fertile land of all the inhabited countries in the world.

This territory has a coastline of about 25,760 kilometres in length and has the largest coral reef in the world, known as the Great Barrier Reef.

Does snowfall?

As for whether snowfalls in Australia, the answer is yes, snow does fall in Australia, exclusively in the winter season, depending on the intensity of the phenomenon. It can extend a few days or a few more weeks after winter.

Friends, It should note that the snow that falls in winter is not seen throughout the territory; it does not fall throughout the country because it is mainly in a place called Mount Kosciusko, located in the national park of the same name.

What’s more, there are areas to practise the sport of skiing. That way, Australia, as a general rule, is not that it is a cold country, and that is why very few people know that in an area of ​​the nation, there is a presence of snow in some months of the year.

There are also other parts where snow can fall, whether it falls every year or unexpectedly; for example, the video attached to this post shows the snow that fell in South Australia, in the small town of Adaminaby.

It is not ruled out that unexpectedly snow also falls in some other part of the country or an Australian city that is not characterized by receiving snow. In that case, it would already be an unusual event.

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As mentioned above, depending on the intensity of the snow, it may last a little longer, even though the winter season has passed, and this is because the climate is variable and uncertain.

It should always consider that the weather changes from one day to the next, and the weather forecasts are inaccurate; that is why they are called “forecasts”. 

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Does Australia get snow?

Yes, but only in some places.

Here is an Australian wine farm with a kangaroo experiencing snow to prove my point.

However, the locations in Australia that experience snow are all high-altitude. these include the

  • snowy mountains
  • Tasmanian Highlands
  • Numerous locations along the Great Dividing range
  • And occasionally, one day a year. South Western Australian peaks
  • You may also get very rare snowfalls in the desert once every few decades, but they hardly count.

You will notice from all those photos that the snow is shallow. Australia very rarely experiences snow as thick and deep as that which you get in other areas of the world, and in non-elevated locations, any snowfall is usually molten by midday and washed away.

There are three other locations where Australia claims to experience snowfall: some islands in the Southern Ocean and a third of the Antarctic land mass, but only some recognize this as Australia.

Is there snowfall in Australia?

Yes, but not extensively. I grew up in Canberra, which is in the snowy mountains (spoiler in the name), and we do get snow, but equally, as the level of precipitation in Canberra is close to 0 in the winter, we don’t get snow often (just endless clear sunny days—4 degrees Celcius, no wind—terrible, really).

The weather can be odd in Canberra, being reasonably high in the range (2000 ft). One Christmas, we even got snow! (For the Americans, Australian Christmas is in mid-summer.) But this has only happened twice in Canberra in 80 or so years of history.

Further down the mountain range towards the NSW / Victoria border, you can get a lot of snow, however, and even a few ski fields (Threadbo, Perisher blue, Falls Creek) When I moved to Europe and went skiing in France, my instructor asked where I had learned to ski.

“You ski very well, but you are Australian? You learn in New Zealand.
“No Australia”
He didn’t stop laughing at me for the rest of the day.

Does it ever snow in Australia?

Snowfall in the (mainly sea-level) cities is fairly rare. However, the Great Dividing Range, which runs down the east coast and across the southeast corner of Australia, has many peaks and “high country” above 1500m (5000 ft), which experience substantial winter snowfalls.

The Australian Alps, consisting of the Snowy Mountains and the Victorian Alps, have an area of 12,330 km2 (4,760.6 sq mi) and are largely snow-covered during winter. There are nine ski resorts throughout this region, with 263 ski lifts of various types and 390,000 overnight visitors to these resorts (10% international visitors). Accusation snowfall at the major resorts averages around 2.5 to 3.0 m per year, augmented by snowmaking producing typical snow depth of around 1.0 m and sometimes up to 2.0 m.

Which is the better country to settle permanently in, Canada or Australia?

Australia has beaches and sunshine, and Canada has mountains and snow.

Having lived in both countries, I am qualified to answer this question. Both Oz and Canada are great countries to live or permanently settle in.

The following comparison suggests one country scores higher than the other on respective parameters; however, it does not mean the country scoring lower is a “complete failure.” It just lags behind the other one.

  1. Environment

Weather: Australia +1, Canada 0

Australian winters (except in Tasmania) are moderate, but houses are not insulated or heated. Australian summers can be very hot for about a month.

Canadian winters can be brutal for about 2-3 months, with temperatures as low as -30 in major cities. Summers are short-lived (2–3 months) but pleasant. Sometimes, the winter is prolonged, and the spring season gets skipped.

Natural beauty: Australia +1, Canada +1

Australia has the best beaches, golden sand, outbacks, cliffs, wineries, and limestone caves over a million years old.

Canada has mountains, ski resorts, lakes, glaciers, waterfalls, and fall colors.

Beaches: Australia +1, Canada 0

Habitat:

98% of the Australian population occupies 2% of the land, meaning the coastal/big cities have high population density while smaller towns have a smaller population.

Most Canadians live within a few hundred kilometers of the US border, as northern regions are cold.

Snow: Australia +1, Canada 0 (because in Oz, if you need to see snow, you need to go to places where it snows). It does not interfere with your daily life as it does in Canada for 3–4 months of the year.

Edit: Canada is a winter wonderland for a few months, while Oz is a summer’s paradise.

Score: Oz (4) > Canada (1)

2. People

Diversity: Australia +1, Canada +1 (Oz: > Asians, Irish, British. & Canada> Indian-Subcontinental, Africans, Europeans)

No. of Bogans: Australia 0, Canada +1

General population’s ( High SES group) attitude towards migrants: Australia +1, Canada +1

General population’s ( low SES group) attitude towards migrants: Australia +0, Canada +1

Score: Oz (2) < Canada (4)

If you were not born and raised in either of these countries, then :

3. Migration and jobs

Ease of migration: Australia 0, Canada +1

Faster citizenship: Australia 0, Canada +1

Govt. Benefits for low-earning families: Australia +1, Canada +1

Employers’ attitude towards highly educated and skilled migrant workers with local experience and references: Australia +1, Canada +1

Employers’ attitude towards highly educated and skilled migrant workers without local experience and references: Australia +0, Canada +0

Salaries/ Income levels: Australia +1, Canada 0

Score: Oz (3) < Canada (4)

4. Travel

Cost of domestic flights: Australia +1, Canada 0 ( Happy traveling in Oz)

Proximity to US and Europe: Australia 0, Canada +1

Proximity to Asia: Australia +1, Canada 0

Score: Oz (2) > Canada (1)

5. Day-to-day life

Coffee: Australia +1, Canada 0

Variety of food: Australia +1, Canada 0

Australia: Middle Eastern, Mexican, Greek, and Indian food is more readily available in most Australian cities, and there are more upscale and mid-level restaurants for these cuisines than you can visit. Did I miss the Dome and other breakfast cafes?

Canada: Buffalo wings, beer, shawarma, and most North American restaurants. The food scene is less elaborate than in Australia. Ethnic food is not so easily available unless you are in big cities like Toronto, Vancouver, or Montreal.

House Rent: Australia +0, Canada +1

Canada: Condos are insulated, and kitchens are adequately furnished with gigantic refrigerators and dishwashers. There is also a dryer with a washing machine, unlike in Australia, where people hang clothes outside for drying.

Real estate prices in major cities: Australia +0, Canada +0

Grocery shopping: Australia +1, Canada 0 (Cheaper and more variety in Oz)

Most importantly: Ginger costs $30/kg in Oz and $3/kg in Canada 😉

Mobile phone plans: Australia +1, Canada 0 ( more gigs of data and cheap-free international calling in Oz)

Free-to-air TV channels: Australia +1, Canada 0

MasterChef TV Show: Australia +1, Canada 0

Netflix: Canada +1, Australia 0

Tipping culture: Australia +1, Canada 0

In Australia, all service staff (servers, barbers, hairdressers, cabbies, delivery guys, etc.) are paid/earn decent wages, and there is no expectation for tipping. Unlike Canada, they won’t hand you the card payment machines with the first page asking for tips starting at 15%–18%. However, paying those tips is optional, except in restaurants where it’s unspoken’ mandatory. Yaas, even for takeaways.

Score: Oz (8) > Canada (1)

6. Health and safety

Healthcare: Australia +1, Canada 0 (Oz has parallel pvt. insurance which co-exists with the medicare that can help you jump the queue to see a specialist or for a surgical procedure)

Safety: Australia +1, Canada +1

Score: Oz (2) > Canada (1)

Overall score: Australia (19)> Canada (13)

For higher salaries, more food options in most cities, somewhat cheaper groceries, better weather, low-cost domestic flights, beaches, occasional snow in places of attraction, cheaper phone plans, free to air TV channels-> Australia

For ease of migration, faster citizenship, less racism, proximity to the developed world (the US and Europe), insulated houses, and lower rents -> Canada

7. Education :

Both countries have some of the best universities in the world.

Rest, have a look at these pictures from Australia and Canada, and decide for yourself:

  • Canada
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Australia
  • Canada

Does it snow in Australia?

Yes, it snows in winter in the Blue Mountains (NSW), in the Snowy Mountains. (There are ski fields there) in Victoria and Tasmania. Other places receive snowfall as well; it just depends on the weather. Snow in Australia is rarely dry powder, but in Victoria, the snow fields are decent. Many Australians go overseas to Canada, Europe, New Zealand, and Japan to go skiing, as the cost is comparable, but the overall experience is much better.

Does it ever snow in Australia?

Yes, it snows in the higher, more inland parts of Australia. In December 1967, I was living in Canberra, and we had a “White Christmas” with the upper parts of Mt. Ainslie and Black Mountain covered in white snow on Christmas Day. January is the only month in which it has never snowed in Canberra.

Which is worse, winter in Canada or summer in Australia?

I have personal experience. Either is potentially life-threatening. The difference is that you can be naked and still be hot in Australia. But in Canada, you can wear the proper clothes, don’t take stupid chances, and be fine.

I used to work in the Pilbara (Australia), located on the western tip of Australia. I have a day off and decided to take the popular walking path at the Python Pool area from Mount Herbert to McKenzie Spring. It was January, so that day’s temperature hovered below 40 °C (105 °F). I parked my Prado and started walking.

I walked about 2 km when it occurred to me that if I kept walking, I might not be coming back. So I made a U-turn, returned to my car, turned the AC full blast, and sat there for some time to cool down before returning to civilization.
At another job, I worked at a gas plant in the woods, about 100 km from Fort McMurray in Canada.

also in January. The client advised me to rent a 4-wheel truck to get there. When you see a gas station in the winter in Canada, you top up the tank. Then I hit the logging road in an attempt to find the plant. I got lost but could return to the main road, found a public phone and called the plant to come and get me. Even small accidents, such as getting stuck in the snow, could be fatal.

At least in Australia, no animals can eat you (unless you swim in crocodile water), but in Canada, you might be part of the food chain. You might be the food. So, considering all possibilities, Australia and Canada are about even. Taking stupid chances might be fatal in either country.

To those who have or had 2 PRs for Australia and Canada simultaneously (especially people with kids), which place did you choose to settle permanently in and why?

I didn’t have 2 PRs at any point, but I considered both countries while living and working in the US. I chose Australia.
It’s hard to answer why. The best answer I can give you is that it felt right. I visited both countries and found them incredible places to be—beautiful landscapes, multicultural cities, and wonderful, friendly people.

I even spent a couple of months in Canada, quite unintentionally. The first week of that time in Canada was spent in Toronto on a work trip, and the remaining seven weeks were spent in Vancouver, waiting for a stupid 221(g) on my H-1B visa to clear so I could go back to the US (if you don’t know what that means, trust me, you’re better off not knowing).

During this time, I found that people were a lot more community-centered in Canada than I was used to in California. Friends I hadn’t met in a long time invited me into their homes, and co-workers at my company’s Vancouver office invited me to their place for Christmas when they found I wasn’t likely to be able to go back to San Diego in time for the holidays, People were almost always kind, warm, and welcoming. I also felt safe in Vancouver, where I found great food and a diverse population.

Does it snow in Australia?

As for Australia, I visited friends in Sydney twice before deciding to move there. Again, Sydney was wonderful. Large, multicultural communities, many things to do, and oceans and mountains only a day’s trip away. Having friends there made me feel right at home. I only visited somewhere else in Australia after making the decision. I wasn’t sure I needed to.

I wanted to be in a good place to apply for PR in both countries and decide where to go when the time came. I went through the PR process for a 189 visa in Australia and got that approved. I also took the first steps to go through the Express Entry process for Canada roughly simultaneously, but I still need to submit an Express Entry profile.

It was odd because Canada seemed to line up better – closer to my friends and extended family in the US, only three years to citizenship, and a company office in Vancouver where I found it straightforward to transfer whenever I was ready to move.

So why did I decide to go south? I’m still trying to figure it out. After all the time I’d spent in Vancouver, it still didn’t exactly fit what I was looking for personally in a permanent place to call home. I accepted a job offer in Brisbane, a city I had never been to. Ironically, with a Canadian company. I moved here in May 2019 because it felt right.

Does it snow in Australia?

Both countries are wonderful, and anyone who can move to either should consider themselves quite fortunate. But you’ve got to visit both countries; chances are, you’ll know which one feels right for you. You may have friends or family in one that makes you feel more at home. Or, you may find a great job in one country that helps you settle in more easily.

You may prefer the weather in one country over another. But you’ve got to decide for yourself, and I suspect you’ll eventually figure out which one feels just right for you. Writing this from my home in Brisbane in July 2024 feels even more right than ever.

Does it snow in Australia

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