Snow and ice shut down major NSW roads: 'INCREDIBLE'
An icy cold front overnight shut down major roads in NSW on Wednesday morning.
Residents in the Blue Mountains and Lithgow are urged not to travel this morning due to dangerous conditions with black ice on the roads.
"The Great Western Highway is closed between Katoomba and Mount Victoria while Bells Line of Road is also closed between Bell and Lithgow," Live Traffic NSW posted online shortly after 6am.
"Due to the weather conditions there is no forecast of when these roads will reopen."
NSW Police said the roads would be reassessed at 7.30am but warned of continued delays.
"Significant delays are expected at Victoria Pass due to a heavy vehicle requiring a tow," authorities said.
It comes after the Blue Mountains area was blanketed with snow overnight.
KATOOMBA TO MOUNT VICTORIA: Great Western Hwy remains closed in both directions due to back ice on the road. Westbound traffic is being turned around at Leura. Avoid the area & delay your trip. pic.twitter.com/V4AAGhgWpF
— Live Traffic NSW (@LiveTrafficNSW) August 23, 2022
"Emergency services are currently attending numerous incident in the upper Blue Mountains caused by snow and black ice overnight," Blue Mountains Police Rescue said shortly after 8.30am.
"Great Western Highway is closed at present at Katoomba. Please assist us by avoiding the Katoomba to Mt Victoria areas."
In Katoomba, west of Sydney, the mercury dropped to -1.5C, but it felt like -7C, as snow blanketed the ground.
"Temperatures this morning below 0°C in many locations in the wake of a cold front," the NSW Bureau of Meteorology tweeted Wednesday morning.
Temperatures this morning below 0°C in many locations in the wake of a cold front. There was a dusting of snow along the ranges but today should be sunny for most regions. Daytime temperatures well below average with dry air to help the chill. Warnings https://t.co/Ss766eSCrL pic.twitter.com/kr9tK3NTgS
— Bureau of Meteorology, New South Wales (@BOM_NSW) August 23, 2022
"There was a dusting of snow along the ranges but today should be sunny for most regions. Daytime temperatures well below average with dry air to help the chill."
Winter wonderland lights up social media
Residents in the Blue Mountains have woken to an icy wonderland with many taking to social media to post images of the "incredible" scenes just a week before Spring is officially set to begin.
Incredible images of snow in the Blue Mountains tonight from members of @NSWRFS’ Katoomba/Leura brigade pic.twitter.com/UwWyjfcusq
— Gavin Coote (@GavinCoote) August 23, 2022
Some more Blackheath snow photos. A lot of Blue Mountains falls in the twenty-first century don't have a good overnight freeze, this one did. So, the snow is less sloppy and is frozen firm to trees and structures. pic.twitter.com/5jdKXOPcD9
— Blackheath Weather (@BlackheathWx) August 23, 2022
Incredible scenes in Blackheath. -2C and blue skies. No wind. Perfect. pic.twitter.com/zHf1Impffw
— Blackheath Weather (@BlackheathWx) August 23, 2022
A friend’s morning view in Blackheath pic.twitter.com/nmEJLADthN
— Glenda Downing (@GlendaDowning) August 23, 2022
Winter wonderland #snow #bluemountains #sunrise pic.twitter.com/1PIp8UyXIl
— Nicole (@GawthorpeNicole) August 23, 2022
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