Rosalie (8) and Isaac (7) Windus from the Gold Coast have fun trying to make the largest snowball last Friday in Blackheath.
Icy southerly winds, high humidity and a large low pressure system hanging just off the coast delivered a late winter treat to Upper Mountains residents last Thursday night, blanketing Blackheath and Mount Victoria in snow.
Heavy snow showers began just before 8pm in those towns when the temperature reached minus 1 degree - but felt more like minus 4.
Inspector Peter Scheinflug from Springwood Police said the excitement that snowfall always provides enticed hundreds of Upper Mountains residents to rug up and head outdoors.
"Even at midnight it was surprising just how many locals were out and about playing in the snow, throwing snowballs and doing those sorts of things despite the cold," he said.
The snow was deep enough to stick around until sunshine melted it away by noon on Friday.
Local families flocked to Blackheath’s Memorial Park from sunrise to enjoy its snowy slopes and some even travelled from the Lower Mountains and Sydney to join in the fun.
Four-year-old Faulconbridge resident Jasmine Vogel was treated by her mum Lorraine with a trip to Blackheath to see snow for the first time in her life.
Lorraine said Jasmine and a few young children she met made a snowball and began pushing it up a small hill, accumulating more snow as they went.
"It got bigger and bigger and eventually they couldn’t even carry it."
When the Gazette asked Jasmine what the best thing about snow was, she said: "that you can throw it".
Gold Coast kids Rosalie (8) and Isaac (7) Windus happened to be on a family holiday in Blackheath and also experienced playing with snow for the first time.
Their dad told the Gazette they would be going from one temperature extreme to the other.
"This time next week we will all be on a holiday in Cambodia, where I think it is about 37 degrees right now."
A bit further up the slope Katoomba couple Gina and Karl enjoyed making an impressive snowman, complete with maple leaves for eyes and lots of twigs for hair.
Residents in Katoomba and parts of Medlow Bath weren’t as lucky, with only brief snow flurries occurring on Thursday night for about 10 minutes, coating vehicles and roads in white stuff for just long enough to take a few happy snaps.