The forgotten Snowies shelter nobody wanted to sleep in

It may have taken 10 weeks, but winter finally remembered the Snowy Mountains when earlier this week the first real chilly blast of 2026 whipped across the high country.

Steve Allen, right, says the Lake Albina Emergency Shelter was a lot smaller inside than it looked from outside. Pictures by Steve Allen

While the storm and subsequent blizzard brought less snow than predicted, they were a timely reminder of why the Snowy Mountains are dotted with emergency shelters.