Snow in Western Australia

Western Australia is not known for its snow. When snow falls in Australia, it is usually confined to the eastern side of the country - the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales and Victoria, and the mountains of Tasmania. Occasional cold winter outbreaks may bring snow to lower levels in these states, as well as the tablelands of south-east Queensland, the Mt Lofty and Flinders Ranges of South Australia ... and also parts of Western Australia.

The author, Graham Barker, resting on Bluff Knoll
The author, Graham Barker,
resting on Bluff Knoll

In the west, snow is normally confined to the Stirling Range where light falls occur a couple of times in most years. Snow has also graced a surprisingly large extent of the low altitude country of the southwest, but is tantalisingly rare; so rare that little is known about its occurrence by most West Australians. Scarcity, however, increases the significance of western snow for those able to experience it.

After my second encounter with snow on the Stirling Range I became curious about how often snow falls there, and where else it has fallen in the west. I could find no comprehensive source of information on this subject, so I decided to create one. Using information from the Bureau of Meteorology and my own research, including some snow-chasing expeditions, I created this series of web pages about snow in Western Australia:

Information

  • Mountain Snow - Occurring on the Stirling Range once or twice in most years
  • Low-Level Snow - Affecting low-lying areas of the state’s southwest; short-lived and rare
  • Forecasting Guide - A guide to forecasting snow in WA using the internet
  • Snowchasing Guide - Information and tips on visiting snow on the Stirling Ranges
  • Links - Useful resources for assessing the likelihood of snow in WA
  • Weather Calculators - Javascript calculators for wind chill and dew point

WA Snow History

My Snow-Chases

 
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