Parts of Tasmania have been transformed into a winter wonderland overnight, with residents in areas of the state waking to snow-covered landscapes after an Antarctic blast swept across the island.
Waratah in the north-west and the Great Lake area in the Highlands emerged as the picture-perfect winter scenes, with social media flooded with images of snow-dusted gardens, vehicles and wildlife.
The snowfall follows a polar air mass that began moving across southern Australia earlier this week, bringing freezing conditions.
At Cradle Highlander accommodation, resident wombat Charlie was spotted seeking warmth by the wood fireplace after enduring what staff described as two days of “white and wet” conditions.
“Our resident wombat Charlie came to say hello and decided to stay,” they said.
Hobart’s Kunanyi/Mount Wellington experienced snowfall above the 600m mark, while snow fell as low as 400 metres in other parts of the state.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a Road Weather Alert early Saturday morning, warning of hazardous driving conditions throughout the day.
“Icy and snow covered roads will make driving conditions dangerous during Saturday in parts of the North West Coast, Western, Central Plateau, Midlands, East Coast, Upper Derwent Valley and South East forecast districts,” the alert read.
Authorities are advising motorists to check for potential road closures before travelling, particularly in elevated areas.
