All Jazzed Up

Following torrential rain last week, the clouds parted and the winds dropped just in time for the start of the 19th Yalumba Thredbo Jazz Festival.

The musical standard was excellent, and the audience, although large, was not uncomfortably so. The cool weather left outside venues popular as everyone soaked up the rays on Saturday.

I awoke on Sunday morning to heavy rain, which was turning to sleety snow, while the upper peaks were already covered. By lunchtime the village was also covered in white and the wet-weather venues for the Jazz Festival were in full swing. The wind chill was reportedly –25C at the top of the Kosi chair and as the quad was only open for the Jazz weekend, we decided to brave the elements to check out the upper depth of snow. Wind drifts were 20-50cm deep while, at that time, the average fall was only about 10cm.

It kept snowing all day and well into the night with 10-15cm sitting on the ground in the village square at 1:30am. No, I didn’t last to the end of Jazz –too many other activities had taken their toll.

I suspect the turn in the weather caused some to leave early, lest the roads got too difficult. Certainly this morning’s radio report of chains required from Thredbo past Dead Horse Gap was going to mean some delays. Otherwise, the snow was quite a treat for all visiting this weekend. I estimate around 20-25cm eventually fell up top and the village looks like it is in full winter mode, especially now that staff have resorted to snow mobiles to gain access to upper parts of the resort.

High Noon, Friday after the rains

Upper Super Trail, same time

Society Syncopators in the Village Square

Kirrawee High Big Band and swing dancers

Village Square midday Sunday

Bridge over Thredbo River

Top Station Kosi chair

Tower 10 through a wet and blurry lens

High Noon, Monday morning

Upper Super Trail, same time

Kosciusko Express is now again shut for maintenance and Snowgums chair is taking excited tourists up to walk in the snow.

-5C air temp and –23C wind chill with occasional snow showers on the upper peaks.