Vic: Snow in low-lying Victoria

AAP General News (Australia)
08-10-2005
Vic: Snow in low-lying Victoria

MELBOURNE, Aug 10 AAP - Freezing Antarctic winds have dumped snow on at least two
low-lying south-west Victorian towns.

Heywood, just 27 metres above sea level, and Winchelsea, which is also close to sea
level, today acquired white blankets.

Both towns are less than 40 kilometres from the ocean.

"It's very unusual," said Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Scott Williams.

"If you look at it on a Victoria-wide scale, it looks set to be the coldest day this winter."

Mr Williams said the snow was caused by a mass of cold air that originated close to
the Antarctic.

"We've had a strong south to south-west airstream, which has brought that air rapidly
northwards in the wake of last night's cold front," he said.

Melbourne's coldest day so far this winter has been July 9, when the temperature peaked
at 10.3 degrees Celsius.

Today, Melbourne's temperature has already topped five degrees Celsius, so the record
for the coldest day with a maximum of 4.4 degrees - set on July 4, 1901 - won't be broken.

AAP jb/gfr/it

KEYWORD: SNOWFALLS

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