Hundreds of holidaymakers were left to trudge back up the mountain at Perisher on Sunday after blizzards shut down ski lifts.
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Close to a metre of fresh powder has fallen in the past week at the alpine village, and Thredbo has recorded more than 70 cm as a huge storm system dubbed "the Polar express" passes over the mountains.
The front turned Sunday's sunny morning in Thredbo into a afternoon blizzard when winds of up to 122km/h hit.
"It was like looking at a closed lolly shop with all your favourites on display," Thredbo spokeswoman Susie Diver said.
But conditions are set to ease on the mountains in the next few days, where both resorts promise the fresh falls will set the perfect stage for most lifts to reopen.
Meanwhile, Canberra is living up to its reputation as the national capital of the puffer jacket.
The temperature didn't crack double digits all weekend, climbing to just 8.7 degrees on Saturday. But according to the apparent temperature the weather has hardly left sub-zero territory since Friday.
So what is the "feels-like" temperature and how is it calculated?
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, wind chill can make conditions feel far frostier than their instruments can read, particularly in Alpine areas.
The bureau measures temperatures across the country using thermometers sheltered from the sun and wind.
Gone are the days of the dutiful forecaster bending to check the reading at 9am and 3pm. In 2019, the bureau is fed rolling updates from 700 weather stations across Australia.
An equation then estimates what that temperature feels like relative to wind speed and humidity.
It's a mathematical model designed to measure the comfort of an "appropriately dressed" adult walking outside in the shade - based off how people gain or lose heat.
Meteorologist Shuang Wang warns results may vary if your clothes are wet or you're in the sun but urged people to check the apparent temperature before heading outside - either to consider heat stress or how many (dozen) puffer jackets to cram on.
In July, temperatures in the capital reach an average top of about 11 degrees.
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Sherryn Groch
Sherryn is a journalist at The Canberra Times, with a special interest in education and social affairs.
Sherryn is a journalist at The Canberra Times, with a special interest in education and social affairs.
