Large parts of South Africa’s mountainous interior are set to turn white this week as another significant winter weather system brings heavy snow, freezing temperatures and hazardous travel conditions to several provinces.

While the icy blast will bring widespread snowfall to the country’s highest peaks, Pretoria and the rest of Gauteng are expected to remain dry, with mild daytime temperatures and no snow currently forecast.

According to Michell du Plessis of Vox Weather, a weak cold front is moving across the southern parts of the country on Monday. However, the real driver of this week’s weather lies behind the front.

“A strong high-pressure system, together with an upper-air disturbance, will draw very cold air across the southern parts of the country, mainly affecting the Eastern and Southern Cape,” Du Plessis explained.

The most significant snowfall is expected on Tuesday and Wednesday, when bitterly cold air combines with moisture over South Africa’s highest terrain.

Forecasters expect snow across:

• Lesotho
• The southern Drakensberg
• High-lying areas of the Eastern Cape
• Mountainous parts of southern KwaZulu-Natal
• Areas north of Barkly East, including Rhodes

The heaviest accumulations are expected around the southern Drakensberg and Lesotho, where snowfall of up to 40cm is possible in the highest elevations.

Lower-lying areas could also see lighter snowfall, while mountain passes may become icy or temporarily inaccessible as snow accumulates.

Although many South Africans associate snow with rare winter events, several parts of the country receive snowfall almost every year.

These include:

• Lesotho
• The Drakensberg mountain range
• Rhodes and Barkly East in the Eastern Cape
• Sani Pass
• The Witteberg Mountains
• The Hex River Mountains and Matroosberg in the Western Cape
• Sutherland and surrounding high-lying areas during stronger cold outbreaks

The frequency and intensity vary each winter, but these regions are regarded as South Africa’s most reliable snow destinations.

Despite the dramatic conditions further south, weather models indicate the cold air will weaken before reaching Gauteng.

“The system does not appear likely to move far enough north to affect Gauteng,” Du Plessis said.

Instead, Pretoria residents can expect:

• Dry weather throughout the week
• Plenty of sunshine
• Afternoon temperatures hovering around 20°C
• Cold winter mornings, with temperatures dropping to around 5°C to 8°C

While many residents may hope for snow, the atmosphere over Gauteng will simply be too dry and too warm for snowfall to develop.

For residents in Pretoria, it will be a typical Highveld winter week.

There is currently no forecast for rain or snow, and daytime conditions should remain pleasant despite the bitterly cold weather affecting the southern parts of the country.

Motorists travelling to the Eastern Cape, southern KwaZulu-Natal or Lesotho, however, are urged to monitor the latest weather forecasts and road conditions, as snowfall could lead to dangerous driving conditions and temporary mountain pass closures.

Weather forecasters will continue monitoring the system, but at this stage there is no indication that Pretoria will experience anything more than cool, dry winter weather.

Also read: Pretoria man severely burned in horrific freak accident at Planet Fitness

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