Cape Town - Table Mountain could be blanketed with snow this weekend as a cold front sweeps through the Western Cape.
“Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.” While South Africa’s winter may not coincide with the inspiration for Woody Herman’s famous Christmas song, the Western Cape is set to be transformed into a winter wonderland if a cold front stays its course.
According to weather forecasts, temperatures will dip to lows, with rainfall and snow predicted for the weekend.
The coldest day is expected to be Sunday with temperatures dropping to 7 deg C, but the cold weather will continue into next week.
According to Snow Report SA – a site devoted to keeping a trained eye out for the first snowflake – the Western Cape’s mountains can expect a light dusting of snow this weekend.
“By the early hours of Saturday morning, snow will still be falling over most mountain ranges in the province.”
The snow is expected to fall from the Cederberg to the Outeniqua mountains, and further inland on the Groot Swartberge and into the Karoo.
This was confirmed by the SA Weather Service, which has warned that “disruptive snowfalls” are expected over the western high ground of the Western Cape.
Flooding across Cape Town, the Overberg region and the Cape Winelands is expected Friday and Saturday.
Gale-force winds of up to 75km/h are expected to roar through the peninsula.
In August last year, a similar dip in temperatures saw Table Mountain draped in ice.
While it was a wonderland on top, down below there was chaos as the N2 and nine other roads were closed due to flooding.
Residents of informal settlements reported their homes were waterlogged. Disaster management officials assisted thousands who were affected – and several rivers burst their banks.
Three bridges over the Berg River were closed by flood waters and residents in the Paarl area were evacuated from their homes.
Several farms in the Riebeek West area along the Berg River were under water today.
The Table Mountain cableway – which was not operating this morning due to weather conditions – might not be running over the weekend if heavy rains continue.
The City of Cape Town said it was prepared for the cold front. Resorts and parks said they were ready to accommodate visitors who wanted to experience snow in the countryside.
Cape Argus