BALLARAT was blanketed in snow on Friday morning as the region shivered through temperatures that felt like -5 degrees.
So far, Friday has been the coldest day of the year, with the temperature dropping to a bone-chilling 0.5 degrees at 11am.
But Weatherzone meteorologists Sam Brown said that temperature would have felt more like -5 degrees.
Mr Brown said until 11.30am about 5cm of snow had fallen, making it some of the heaviest snow fall in Ballarat in recent years.
Snow settled on the ground in the CBD about 11am, while country areas including Clarkes Hill, Dean, Bungaree and Gordon turned completely white.
The last time snow fell in Ballarat was on July 9, with less than a centimetre experienced in country areas, including Trentham, Bungaree, Wattle Flat, Clarkes Hill, Dean and Gordon.
Friday's snow made headlines around the country, with radio stations including Triple J taking calls from locals excited by the cold front.
Weatherzone said the "super cold temperatures" were produced in the wake of a vigorous cold front which brought a cold air mass behind it.
Coupled with the moisture in the air, snow started to fall below 450 metres.
The ABC took this video of snow in Ballarat:
Mr Brown said wind gusts were also severe, reaching more than 60km/h in some areas around Ballarat.
"It's a pretty uncommon weather pattern, but with all the elements coming together like they did, snow managed to fall," he said.
He said no more snow was forecast for the day and that temperatures and winds would improve.
"There is a high pressure system building in the wake of the cold front and this will cause skies to clear," he said.
"Although the cold air mass will linger and combined with the high pressure system Ballarat will continue to see very cold mornings over the next couple of days."
Morning temperatures will hover around 1 and 2 degrees on Saturday and Sunday, he said, with daytime temperatures about nine and 10 degrees.
Source: The Courier
