Victoria’s Mount Baw Baw has bushfires and snow all in the same week
Snow was clearly visible at Mount Baw Baw Ski Bowl just days after the bushfire evacuation. Photo: Mount Baw Baw
From a bushfire emergency to a light dusting of snow, Victoria’s Mount Baw Baw has experienced some wild weather over the past few days.
While an evacuation order remained in place due to nearby fires, the mountain was hit with sub-zero temperatures on Wednesday.
“It’s been an amazing few days. We had our hottest day ever up there last week and then the snow,” Mt Baw Baw’s visitor services manager Sally Brooks said.
“So it has been pretty wild.”
The snowfall was captured on the resort’s ski cameras.
The dusting of snow was captured on the resort’s ski cameras at toboggan park. Photo: Mount Baw Baw
Ms Brooks left the mountain on Saturday night after an evacuation order was issued.
“There was quite a bit of fire activity. We had a trail festival up there at the time, lots of people running, so it was quite an evacuation,” she said.
“We totally understand that and are very supportive of all the emergency crews that have been involved.
“But it does seem very strange that we’re off the mountain while it’s snowing.”
The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said the sudden change in weather was caused by a cold front moving east across Victoria.
“A big line of storms went through, and following that a big broad area of cold air has moved over the state,” senior forecaster Keris Arndt said.
“We’ve gone from what was a very hot start to March, one of the hottest actually, to quite cold – it was the coldest day we’ve seen since November 24.”
https://twitter.com/MountBawBaw/status/1101725678204932103
Mount Baw Baw also received some light snowfall in February, but milder conditions are forecast over the next week.
The evacuation order is expected to be lifted on Thursday morning.
“We’re lucky that we’re going to be open again in time for the long weekend,” Ms Brooks said.
–ABC