© Tracey Nearmy/AAP Skiers in Falls Creek in Victoria on Saturday.
Parts of South Australia and Queensland are also experiencing adverse weather as the country experiences some of its coldest conditions in 15 years.
Families returning from school holidays have been warned about road conditions as rain sweeps across Australia's southeastern states and move towards Queensland.
A strong cold front with a low to the south will move through New South Wales in the coming days, bringing cold, vigorous, westerly winds, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Blizzard conditions with winds in excess of 90km/h are expected to develop in the Snowy Mountains on Saturday, with the alpine peaks potentially experiencing gusts of about 125km/h.
Mick Logan, a meteorologist with the NSW Bureau of Meteorology, said it could be the most impressive widespread snowfall since 2000, with five to 10cm of snow expected down to altitudes of 700 metres in the southern and central ranges, and snow down to 900 metres expected in the northern tablelands.
As the front moves through NSW, Sunday will feature more of the same with peak gusts of more than 90km/h in the Illawarra, Central Tablelands, the Hunter, Southern Tablelands, ACT and Snowy Mountains.
The State Emergency Service is advising people to move vehicles under cover, secure loose items and keep clear of fallen power lines.
DAMAGING WINDS. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ON THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS ARE EXPECTED for all current weather warnings visit: http://t.co/PYdGyd0d3OIcy winds, hail and blustery conditions are also expected in Victoria over the weekend.
— NSW SES (@NSWSES) July 10, 2015
A strong cold front will hit the state on Saturday, with possible thunderstorms, hail and snow.
By Sunday morning temperatures in Melbourne are expected to dip to five degrees, with a top of 11, with forecasters projecting the city will be the second coldest capital in the country after Canberra.
Snow is possible in some of Melbourne's outer suburbs and is forecast to fall down to 500 metres in alpine areas.
The cold front has stirred up strong winds in parts of Victoria, with winds at 81km/h hitting Falls Creek and temperatures quickly dropping in Melbourne to 7.7C as rainy conditions worsened on Saturday.
"We will see stronger winds coming tomorrow as the low pressure system moves across," a BOM spokesman said.
In Adelaide, reduced visibility in the showers and the possibility of small hail have made road conditions dangerous, BOM has warned.
Sydneysiders woke up to a city blanketed in fog, which shut ferry services in the morning.
The BOM has also forecast a chance of snow reaching Queensland's far southern ranges.
Families trying to stay warm in the cold weather caused eight house fires in NSW overnight, prompting a stern warning from fire authorities.
Fire and Rescue NSW says eight people have been taken to hospital after numerous incidents where power-boards overloaded, fire escaped from fireplaces and in one case, outdoor cooking equipment was used to heat the home.
"Always keep everything a metre from the heater," said F&R NSW Superintendent Ian Krimmer in Sydney on Saturday.
"Don't, under any circumstances, bring outdoor equipment into the home, they produce deadly carbon monoxide gas."
Residential fires are most common during cold weather, he said.
Source: Australian Associated Press
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