Australia Weather News

Freezing temperatures are forecast for southern inland parts of Queensland today, with more frosty nights ahead as a southern cold snap takes hold.

Stanthorpe is forecast to be the coldest spot in Queensland with temperatures expected to reach -1 degrees Celsius today, while 2C is expected at Oakey west of Toowoomba.

Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) forecaster Angus Hines said daytime temperatures are expected to hover about 20 degrees west of the Great Dividing Range for the next few days, while conditions will be a few degrees warmer closer to the coast.

"It's the overnight minimum temperatures where it's going to feel quite a bit colder compared to recent weather," Mr Hines said.

"We'll be looking at low single digits for many inland areas, potentially even dipping into the negatives."

Unfortunately, for the dry parts of southern Queensland, BOM is not expecting any rain with the cold snap.

"Relatively dry conditions, just that slight chill in the air," Mr Hines said.

Chilly southern air mass

Mr Hines said the cold snap is being driven by a cold air mass coming directly off the Southern Ocean between Australia and Antarctica.

"It's a pretty cold place, with very cold sea surface temperatures, and that's where this air has been sitting before arriving in Australia," he said.

He said this type of weather pattern is unusual in autumn, as it is typically seen during winter.

"It doesn't look like we'll be seeing any records set, but it could be the coldest weather in some time for many people."

Mr Hines said the cold conditions will extend as far north as the Maranoa, while northern Queensland can expect slightly below-average temperatures.

"We're still looking at mid to upper 20s in the northern half of the state over the next few afternoons, possibly even pushing into the 30s across Cape York Peninsula and the Gulf Country," he said.

"A couple of showers are likely to develop, particularly on Friday into the weekend, across the North Tropical Coast and Cape York Peninsula."

Preparing to shiver

In the south, people have been preparing for the first burst of cold weather for the year.

Chrystal Roberts's family run a small firewood business on the Darling Downs, where temperatures dropped below freezing overnight.

She said the past few weeks have been hectic.

"Last week was our biggest week. We were doing nearly eight deliveries a day," she said.

Her children have been helping after school.

"My son Chase splits the wood, and my daughter Jailei helps me load what we've already got on the stockpile," she said.

"They're doing it all after school, on Saturdays and Sundays, alongside playing football and everything else kids do."

She said the cold snap is at the forefront of many people's minds in the community.

"I put a post on the local community page for the older residents, just to let them know it's meant to be getting cold," she said.

"They're bracing themselves for it. So, let's see."