Residents across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria will rise to find a thick blanket of snow has fallen along the eastern coast after reaching sub-zero temperatures overnight
Schools in Katoomba have given students the day off while snow continues to affect train lines and major roads in New South Wales.
Drivers have been stranded after the Hume Motorway towards Sydney, the Great Western Highway between Leura and Katoomba, and the New England Highway near Glen Innes were closed amid safety concerns.
Towns in southern Queensland have seen their best snowfalls in more than a decade, with the cold snap blanketing them in white powder.
Falls of up to eight centimetres have been recorded in Stanthorpe and nearby Eukey overnight, sending residents scurrying outside in their pyjamas to take in the scene.
Towns in southern Queensland have seen their best snowfalls in more than a decade, with the cold snap blanketing them in white powder
The roads are no longer visible after a flurry of snow fall overnight
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Sam Campbell says it has been years since that much snow was seen in the area.
'Since midnight we've seen snow falling steadily around the Stanthorpe and Eukey area with some widespread covering of snow, about several centimetres deep,' he told the ABC.
He says there's only a slight chance of more snow on Friday morning, with the cold air mass that produced the falls moving towards the coast.
Forecaster Kenneth Cheung, from the Bureau of Meteorology, said the snow is unlikely to continue over the weekend but conditions will remain icy cold.
'The snow that we are getting is attributed to a low pressure system hovering over the Tasman Sea that is starting to move away from the mainland which should see conditions improve.'
Mr Cheung said around five centimetres of snow fell in Queensland overnight, with the Southern Tablelands and Victoria registering between two and three centimeters.
Trains have also been affected with lines between Sydney and the Blue Mountains closed until further notice
A record breaking low of minus 6.9 degrees was recorded overnight in Mount Hotham and Falls Creek, Victoria.
Mr Cheung said conditions will remain cold across all three states on Saturday night and Sunday morning with temperatures set to rise by Monday.
Residents in Katoomba, New South Wales, were surprised to find their cars surrounded in a thick layer of snow
'I missed the 1984 snow. I've never ever, ever seen anything like this in my life. It's just like a winter wonderland,' he told the ABC.
Pictures of Australia's winter wonderland have started to emerge on social media as residents brave the uncharacteristically cold weather to capture the breathtaking scenery.
Pictures of Australia's winter wonderland have started to emerge on social media as residents brave the uncharacteristically cold weather to capture the icy conditions
I live in NSW at the border of Queensland (yuck - I hate that name), near the east coast. There is no snow except at high elevations. It's WINTER here... this is not that unusual. You know they have skiing here in Australia? Have for a LONG time. It is warming... very hot year overall. Along with that extreme comes the other. Extra cold. Learn about global climate change and see that all of this was predicted decades ago. The canard that no warming has been measured for 10 years is a gross distortion of fact. This has been the hottest year on record worldwide.