Snow falls in Victoria just days after extreme bushfire alert

[depakid]

VICTORIA'S alpine region has recorded snowfall in the early hours of today, just days after the state was on extreme fire alert.

Victorian Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Michael Halfpenny said with temperatures reaching a low of minus two degrees at Mount Hotham this morning, slight snowfall would have been seen. "There would have been a few flecks this morning with a few possible showers, but it was not likely to settle," he said.

Mt Hotham recorded 1.2 mm of snow with temperatures below zero degrees from about 2am to 10.30am, Mr Halfpenny said. Mount Hotham Skiing Company senior marketing executive Caroline Wheatley described it as a "very light dusting" of snow.

"We woke up to it, it was a beautiful scene of flecks falling down. It was quite surprising to see that," she said. She said it was probably the first snowfall seen in the region since November last year.

It also marks a week of weather paradoxes for Victoria, which was on extreme bushfire alert earlier in the week.

More: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25142916-5005961,00.html
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In other thankful news:

Crews to be scaled back as rain eases bushfire threat

Victorian fire authorities say it is a relief to have come out on top of yesterday's trying weather conditions.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/04/2506849.htm