The coldest morning so far this year gripped Melbourne on Sunday, when temperatures fell lower in the city than inside the average Australian fridge, and the bureau is warning of more icy conditions and bitter cold in the week ahead.
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Temperatures in the CBD fell as low as 3.3 and 6.6 degrees on Sunday and Monday mornings, and to below-zero temperatures in the city's north-east.
The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a top temperature for Melbourne of just 12 degrees on Monday with a very high chance of showers throughout the day.
And there is more cold to come as the state enters what senior forecaster Michael Efron has described as the state's "heart of winter".
"We a looking at a maximum of only 12 degrees today," Mr Efron said. "So, on average the last week of June and the first week or two of July is our coldest time of the year for Melbourne ... the heart of winter.
"It's just the lack of sunlight and the lack of strength in the sun as well, so typically, during spring and summer northerly winds bring warm air but the air to our north is actually really cold at the moment so if we get northerly, westerly or southerly winds it just brings cold air.
"There's just no warm air headed for Victoria, and even when there is no wind or cloud you just lose warmth and get really cold mornings like yesterday morning."
Mr Efron said Sunday's 3.3 degree morning low was colder than inside the average fridge. The bureau reported that during the day on Sunday, Shepparton, with 8 degrees, reported its coldest June maximum temperature on record, as did Yarrawonga, with 7.7 degrees, and Kilmore with 4.6 degrees.
Mildura, usually renowned for being one of the warmest parts of Victoria, had its coldest day since 1989, with a maximum of 9.1 degrees, and its coldest June day since 1973.
The Melbourne forecast for the next three days is for cold, drier days with only light chance of showers, strong winds and maximums of 15 degrees on Tuesday and 14 on Wednesday, after overnight lows of 7 and 8 degrees. Both days should be partly cloudy.
On Thursday and Friday it will be cloudy and there is a high chance of showers.
Victorian ski resorts have reported small snowfalls in recent days, and the bureau is predicting just light snow showers on Monday and coming days, and says there could be more significant snow falls on Thursday and Friday.
"It looks like over the next couple of days there won't be huge quantities of snow but certainly good conditions for snow making," Mr Efron said. "But we do have another cold front expected on Thursday so we could see snow down to 1200 or 1300 metres at least.
"Thursday is looking like the next cold outbreak."
Mt Buller on Sunday had eight out of 14 ski lifts operating, three out of 41 ski runs open, a base of 50cm of snow from snowmaking, and 3cm of natural snow in the past 24 hours.
Falls Creek had six out of 15 lifts operating, no natural snow in the last 24 hours and a 10cm base from snowmaking.
While the frosty week ahead will offer smiles to Victorian ski resort operators it will also amplify the miseries of the city's homeless and dampen the spirits of children during their first week of school holidays.
"It's not good weather for the school holidays but it is good news for the ski resorts," Mr Efron said.
