Snow is set to fall across large swathes of ACT and the NSW Central and Southern Tablelands as a deep low-pressure trough batters the state with wild winds and chilly temperatures.
The trough has developed over southeast NSW during the past 24 hours, extending into the Southern Ocean, and is likely to persist until Monday.
The Bureau of Meteorology's Jane Golding on Thursday said the system would bring high winds with gusts surpassing 90km/h, cold temperatures and snowfall.
Snow is expected to fall across the weekend in Orange, Lithgow, Goulburn, Oberon, Jenolan Caves, the Blue Mountains and the high areas around Bathurst, Ms Golding said. Snowfall is likely to occur in places above an altitude of 500m.
The ACT and Snowy Mountains region may also receive a dusting, and skiers heading to the NSW snowfields have been warned about the potential for blizzards and avalanches.
Ms Golding said it was a one-in-15-year weather event.
"We've already seen the start of that with some pretty gusty winds develop over a lot of NSW, those winds kicked up some dust over western NSW," Ms Golding told reporters.
"Over the next four days those winds are really continuing, some days windier than others."
Temperatures will hover around five degrees across the NSW Central and Southern Tablelands, with wind chill to give the sensation of below-freezing weather.
Ms Golding said the conditions could prompt the collapse of trees, branches and power lines in some places, and black ice was likely to form on roads. The SES said it had completed 160 jobs in the past 24 hours and has now activated snow plans.
SES Commissioner Carlene York said vehicles should be moved undercover, loose items should be secured and residents should steer eight metres clear of fallen power lines.
"Really think twice about whether you have to go out and drive in this weather," Ms York said.
Perisher resort tweeted on Wednesday "the storm has settled in!" with 10cm of fresh cover.
A Transport for NSW spokesman on Thursday warned the snow could cause road closures and fallen trees but said there would be an effort to maintain access.
A severe weather warning is still in place for the Hunter, Illawarra and parts of Mid-North Coast, South Coast, Central Tablelands and Southern Tablelands districts.
A woman in her 50s was injured at Gosford on the Central Coast on Wednesday after strong winds caused scaffolding at a building site to collapse on her.
The SES also warned on Thursday that residents at St Georges Basin at Sussex Inlet who had just cleaned up from recent floods could be flooded again by high tides on Thursday.
Australian Associated Press
