Winter wonderland: Alana Banks, 4, lets snowflakes melt upon her palm. Temperatures in Ballarat hovered around 2°C on Friday, but are expected to rise to 10°C Saturday. Pictures: Lachlan Bence
BALLARAT has officially welcomed in winter with a gentle blanket of snow on Friday.
Taking shelter: The snow fell steadily in Ballarat's CBD from about 11am, with people taking shelter in Armstrong Street.
Alas for snow-lovers, the wintery paradise won’t last long, with Saturday temperatures expected to be much more moderate.
Snow fell across the city from about 11am Friday, with residents sighted frolicking among the rare phenomenon.
Ice and snow: The Winterlude festival pop-up ice skating rink is showered with an authentic snowy backdrop.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Keris Arndt said the snow was caused by a “very strong cold” that had brought cold air to the west.
He said the temperature had hovered around 2 degrees for most of the day, with the bureau receiving “plenty of reports” of snow. He said Ballarat dropped to 1.5 degrees on Friday at 4.57am. Saturday will bring a high of 10 degrees.