An icy cold front around has sent temperatures in Sydney plummeting, with authorities warning snow could fall as low as 700 metres tonight.
Thermometers at Badgerys Creek in Sydney's west dropped 13 degrees Celsius in just three hours shortly after lunchtime.
By 4pm it was 10C at Observatory Hill, in the CBD, after a high of 22C before the arrival of the polar blast.
The system, which has sucked up cold air from the Southern Ocean, could also bring strong winds, hazardous surf, and hail.
Christie Johnson from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said it was "on the strong end of winter fronts".
"It's bringing a band of rain and thunderstorms mostly moving over the north-eastern part of the state today and through the Sydney area," she said.
A wind gust of 93 kilometres per hour was recorded at Wattamolla in the Royal National Park, while Norah Head on the Central Coast record an 80kph gust.
The BOM has issued a hazardous surf warning from the Illawarra coast up to Byron Bay.
Black ice danger
Snow flurries are possible inland of the Great Dividing Range on Tuesday night.
"We're expecting snow down to about 700 or 800 metres today, so we could see some snow on the Central Tablelands particularly later in the day as the coldest air is a little bit delayed behind the front," Ms Johnson said.
Katoomba, the Barrington Tops, Orange, Lithgow, Batlow and Oberon could all receive snow flurries, with motorists urged to be on the lookout for black ice.
The polar blast brought joy for skiers, with most resorts in the Snowy Mountains picking up between 15 and 20 centimetres of new snow on Monday night.
Those enjoying the powder needed to rug up, with the 'feels like' temperature at Thredbo Top Station sitting at minus 15C due to icy winds.
Even Jindabyne, sitting at an elevation of 915m above sea level, woke up to a blanket of snow.
'Widespread frosts'
Ms Johnson said Sydney would be in for a "a cold start" on Wednesday, with an overnight minimum of 8C, while areas inland of the ranges could see the temperature dip below zero.
"We're going to have widespread frosts through inland areas," she said.
The skies are expected to clear up during Wednesday, and into the weekend across much of the state.
"[It will be] fairly sunny, [there] could be a couple of showers around particularly through the coastal areas tomorrow.
"The front will actually form a bit of a low-pressure system just off the east coast before it moves away so that might just drive a little bit more shower activity particularly into the Hunter and Mid North Coast."
