The forecast for this weekend for the Bathurst region is looking white, with widespread snow predicted for the morning of Saturday 22 August.
Snow in Bathurst is certainly not a guaranteed event each winter. The city’s elevation of 650 metres puts it below the usual snowline, but every once in a while nature throws something exceptional our way such as last happened on 17 July 2015 when Bathurst was transformed into a genuine winter wonderland. However even this beautiful event could not compete with the legend of the blizzard of 5 July 1900, when the NSW Central West was literally buried in snow. As far west as Forbes, only 240m above sea level, up to 25cm of snow fell whilst Parkes received 10cm. But this was nothing compared to the more than 60cm of snow that blanketed Bathurst, with drifts of well over a metre in some areas. The Railway was closed, some roofs and verandas collapsed and there was snow on William Street for up to three days after the event!
Will we ever see such an event again? Impossible to know, however we have high hopes for the weekend ahead. The surrounding district at higher elevations such as Yetholme or nearby Oberon are certain to see heavy falls with the temperature this Saturday for Oberon predicted to climb from a low of minus one to a high of only 2 degrees! Rug up.
