Big Antarctic freeze hits southeast Australia

Below, cars covered in snow at Mt Buller. Photo / Getty Images

It might be called the Sunshine State but Queenslanders are shivering with Victoria and New South Wales thanks to the icy cold snap swirling across southeast Australia.

The blast of Antarctic air has already stirred strong winds in parts of Victoria and NSW and caused the temperature in Melbourne to drop to 7.7C on Saturday. The temperature in Brisbane was expected to dip to a low of 11C yesterday and 7C today and tomorrow.

For the first time in two years, parts of Queensland are anticipating snow.

"There is a slight chance of some sleet or snow flurries over the higher terrain of the far southeast and Granite Belt," the Bureau of Meteorology predicted.

Families play in the snow during the latest cold snap at Mt Buller, Victoria. Photo / Getty Images

In NSW, 82km/h winds swept through Thredbo, which was expected to get 70cm of rain and blizzard conditions over the next couple of days - music to the ears of skiers and snowboarders.

The Illawarra and Hunter have not yet seen the damaging winds forecast but a severe weather warning remains in place. The icy conditions are due to cold air coming from the Southern Ocean. A low pressure system around Victoria has pushed the cold air across the interior of NSW and into the sunshine state.

- AAP