Blizzard of Oz: The Weather Guy Breaks Down the Storm of the Season…

Well well well… the past four days have been some of the best ever in Thredbo with relentless snow falls from Thursday 3^rd August through to today… and it’s still dumping! The ‘Blizzard of Oz’ has been a blur of white as three independent systems moved over the Snowy Mountains in quick succession.

The first system moved through in the form of an inland low that developed over South Australia before depositing 15cm on the peaks of the resort. Hot on the heels of that system came a decent sized cold front which dragged the cold air needed for low level snow, but the real kicker came on Sunday afternoon when one of the strongest fronts of the system dumped a whole bunch of snow across the resort and halfway to Jindabyne.

We are still seeing the effects of Sunday’s system today with persistent snow showers continuing in its wake. These snow falls look like they will stick around for the majority of the day too, with another 10cm or so on the cards, with some models suggesting heavier falls up to 30cm.

So far, the total accumulation of the ‘Blizzard of Oz’ is sitting at 115cm, but why has it been so great?

Well, leading up to this event there was no shortage of the main ingredient – moisture. A low pressure trough associated with the first inland low was instrumental in providing sufficient moisture for good snowfalls, followed soon after by the two cold fronts which also distributed huge amounts of moisture.

As the fronts moved in, the next ingredient that is essential for setting snow apart from its transparent cousin made itself known – cold temperatures.

Temperatures steadily dropped with the arrival of each system, allowing the snow level to progressively lower and the snow quality to progressively improve. Most importantly though, consistently cold temperatures keep snow on the ground for much longer as opposed to melting and receding which is typical of a one day snow event.

Gusty winds have been playing an important role also by scouring the main range of its snow stockpile (outside resort boundaries) and dumping on the slopes of Thredbo. In addition to natural snow falls, this often creates a huge proportion of the deep powder stashes we all love so much.

This event has exceeded forecast expectations… but no one is complaining! Only a couple of models suggested snowfalls this heavy so the chances seemed slim, but we are stoked to be proven wrong in times like these.

If you were stuck in the office or at home, check out all the action at The Blizzard of Oz: The Story Book recap with a heap of awesome videos and pictures. See you down here soon!