Durban - Don’t pack away your jerseys and blankets just yet. Snow has been predicted to fall over parts of KwaZulu-Natal from the early hours of Wednesday morning.
According to Snow Report SA, snow is due to fall in the Tiffindell and Rhodes areas in the Eastern Cape and by Wednesday noon, it will move along the Eastern Cape Drakensberg, the southern parts of Drakensberg and into central Drakensberg area.
On their Facebook page, Snow Report SA said snowfall is expected to intensify and move up further north into the Maluti Mountains around AfriSki and into the eastern parts of Lesotho.
Freezing temperatures are expected late into Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
“We expect to see further intensity in the snowfalls as the freezing level drops further, bringing substantial falls over the Eastern Cape Drakensberg, the Southern KZN Drakensberg, as well as the central and northern Drakensberg. During this time, heavy falls are also expected in the central and eastern parts of Lesotho, and there is a chance that some light falls will happen in Matatielle area, and could also come down into the Underberg and Himeville areas,” Snow Report SA said.
They added that the heaviest snowfalls will be during Thursday morning, according to the weather data, with significant snow possible from the Malutis in the north of Lesotho, right down through the northern Drakensberg, central and southern Drakensberg, the Eastern Cape Drakensberg, as well as central and eastern Lesotho. Snowfalls seem likely to continue right through Thursday afternoon and into early evening in these areas.
By Friday morning, all snowfalls should cease, with clear skies expected.
The weather data is currently showing substantial quantities of snow, with the following accumulation expected: Tiffindell 40-50cm, AfriSki 40-55cm, Sani Pass 60-80cm, Thabana Ntlenyana 120-150cm, Cathedral Peak 40-50cm, Champagne Castle 80-90cm, Giants Castle 90-110cm, Mont-aux-sources 30-40cm and Rhino Peak 70-80cm.
“Our map shows light snow heading down into the KZN Midlands around Mooi River and Estcourt but there is a fair amount of inconsistency in this data for low level snow, so we will be updating the forecast every day as we get closer to this event,” Snow Report SA said.