Gauteng residents are waking up to bitterly cold weather today, with forecasters saying there’s a small chance of snow or sleet as a strong cold front moves across South Africa.

The wintry conditions are part of a broader weather system bringing rain, thunderstorms, and heavy snow to other parts of the country over the next few days.

According to Michelle du Plessis, a forecaster at VoxWeather, a powerful cut-off low combined with another intense cold front is driving widespread showers and icy conditions nationwide.

While weather models had shown a slim chance of light snow or a rain-snow mix in Gauteng this morning, Du Plessis explained that the chance of snow settling on the ground is very low because freezing levels remain well above the province’s highest points.

“Any snow that falls will likely melt before reaching the ground, and it’s more probable that we’ll see soft hail or graupel instead of true snow,” she said, noting that global models often misread such marginal conditions.”

Meanwhile, the Western Cape is bracing for up to 80 mm of rain, with heavier snow still forecast for the Eastern Cape mountains, Lesotho, the southern Drakensberg, and the Karoo later today and into the weekend. The SA Weather Service has issued a Level 4 warning for disruptive rain and possible flooding in parts of the Western Cape as additional fronts push through.

In Gauteng, temperatures are expected to stay below 20 °C throughout the day, with showers possible later, a slight warm-up by Sunday, and yet another cold snap early next week.

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