While Canberrans shivered through a cold, wet Wednesday where the apparent temperature didn't get above 6 degrees, rangers up in the Brindabellas found themselves reaching for the winter woolies and their cameras as snow began falling mid morning.
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The dusting dropped as low as 1500 metres and had left a few centimetres already by mid Wednesday afternoon. The cold conditions were in stark contrast to last week's relative warmth, according to senior ACT Parks manager Brett McNamara.
''Friday we were chasing a fire at Uriarra. Here we are today, Wednesday, putting snow jackets on,'' Mr McNamara said.
He said the first snow of the season was a great time to remind people to enjoy it responsibly, heeding all road signs, and to be prepared for conditions that can change rapidly. Parts of Mount Franklin Road were closed on Wednesday because of the snow.
''We are strongly encouraging people to exercise caution, particularly when navigating the roads in the mountain. They can be rather treacherous, and can turn to slippery conditions very quickly,'' he said. He also said snow bunnies and adventurers should be mindful that, come spring, much of the snow will actually wind up in Canberra's main water supply.
''You wake up in the morning and see the snow up there, you'll soon be brushing your teeth in it, so take care with it,'' Mr McNamara said.
The snow hasn't quite made it down to the usual recreation areas, such as Corin Forest, just yet, so Mr McNamara suggested families look instead to some of the ski-fields if they want to have an early-season play day, or just sit back and ''appreciate it from a distance''.
Up in the mountains, Perisher's Richard Phillips said harsh conditions on Wednesday had left a good layer of snow right down the mountain as temperatures stayed below zero throughout the day.
''Good snow is always a good sign. It's nice to be sitting here in May with some snow on the ground,'' he said.
Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Sarah Chadwick said the cold air was coming from a low-pressure system sitting in Bass Strait, which would head out to the Tasman over the next few days.
''We're expecting to see some more snowfalls overnight tonight, and as Thursday moves into Friday it's clearing up,'' Ms Chadwick said.
She said a breeze from the west kept Canberra cold on Wednesday, but daytime temperatures were expected to rise on Thursday to about 14 degrees, and then rise again on Friday before a mostly fine weekend.
