Let's settle this Australian weather misconception once and for all
Most of us in Canada associate the continent of Australia with deserts, dingoes, and even drapey spider webs – not snowfall.
Here's the thing. The higher elevations of Australia, particularly the State of Victoria and occasionally New South Wales, accumulate snowfall during the Southern Hemispheric winter.
Last week, the temperature struggled to get much above 10°C in Sydney, with local media highlighting the coldest temperatures in 37 years. The snow extended through New South Wales, right up to the Queensland border.
Mount Buller, Victoria's most popular ski resort, was blessed with some early-season snow. This is around the time you'd expect it. The mountain sits at 1800 metres elevation and usually builds a healthy snowpack through winter, peaking in late August or early September.
The snowpack has seen a substantial decline in recent decades across the continent. Nevertheless, the resort still accumulates over 100 cm snowpack during the season, such as the 153 cm reading in September 2017.
Moreover, it might come as a bit of a shocker that these Australian ski resorts share the equivalent distance away from the equator as Colorado's largest ski resort, Vail in the Northern Hemisphere.
Think of that if you ever find yourself shredding the slopes of Aspen. Just maybe, it's time to pay a visit to Australia for some champagne powder in the middle of a Canadian summer.