After Canberra recorded its coldest October day since 1968 yesterday, people in the surrounding region woke up to a thick cover of snow this morning.
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Snow fell overnight in Wamboin, Bywong, Bungendore, Goulburn and on the Federal Highway, with some light falls continuing well into the morning.
A strong low pressure system that lashed the coast with wild weather overnight brought heavy rainfalls as far inland as the capital, with 33 millimetres of rain falling at Canberra Airport since 9am yesterday, and more than 50 millimetres falling over Braidwood.
There was also heavy snow at Goulburn as temperatures dipped close to 0 degrees this morning, with more than 40 millimetres of precipitation falling at Goulburn Airport over a 24 hour period.
The weather has caught at least two separate groups of walkers unprepared in the mountains today, with a party of six rescued in the ACT's south, and another pair of walkers missing near Thredbo.
Rising water and poor weather closed a number of roads in the ACT this morning. By 4.45pm, most roads had reopened, with the exception of Point Hut Crossing and Oaks Estate Crossing.
The NSW RTA was earlier reporting snow on the Federal Highway at Bywong, the Kings Highway at Braidwood, and on Crookwell Road north of Goulburn, however the roads are now all cleared.
Essential Energy were also investigating reports of power supply interruptions around the region, including in Braidwood, Bungendore, Goulburn and Cooma.
The Bureau of Meteorology's Sean Carson said this morning that snowfalls stretched up the Great Dividing Range as far as the Queensland border.
Wild weather conditions have also lashed the NSW South Coast, with more than 220 millimetres of rain falling at Ulladulla and more than 100 millimetres of rain at Moruya since 9am yesterday.
The severe weather conditions are expected to track north today, with Sydney bracing for dangerous winds, flash flooding and huge waves.
The temperature in Canberra yesterday reached a top of just 8.6 degrees, making it the coldest October day since 1968.
The forecast for the next few days shows conditions improving, with rain clearing and a top of 16 degrees expected today, before a mostly sunny weekend with just a few showers on Saturday afternoon.
