Areas just north of the Twin Cities received up to 5 inches (127mm) of snow yesterday, with local news stations showing snowman pictures. We got our first snow of the season this morning, just a few flakes.

It's 1 pm here and the temperature is a balmy 37F/2C - which is just about the predicted high for today. The TV weather guy commented that at least we had 4 completely snow-free months this year.

Ha just thinking of the fare of taking a taxi that far.

Yes, a plane there and back would be much cheaper and less time-consuming.

I have heard the bush fires in nsw were deliberately lit. I can not understand why these idiots do such things when they know the fire danger in nsw at this time of year. They have seen previous years and what has happened. It drives me insane and the ruin of peoples homes and even lives they cause for no reason.

The sad part about it the suspects that have been caught so far have all been children, one as young as eleven. I can't help asking, where were their parents? Today hasn't been too bad. We even had some rain, though you might have to run around with a postage stamp to collect the raindrops. Tomorrow sounds horrible.

Ha just thinking of the fare of taking a taxi that far.

Yes, a plane there and back would be much cheaper and less time-consuming.

I have heard the bush fires in nsw were deliberately lit. I can not understand why these idiots do such things when they know the fire danger in nsw at this time of year. They have seen previous years and what has happened. It drives me insane and the ruin of peoples homes and even lives they cause for no reason.

The sad part about it the suspects that have been caught so far have all been children, one as young as eleven. I can't help asking, where were their parents? Today hasn't been too bad. We even had some rain, though you might have to run around with a postage stamp to collect the raindrops. Tomorrow sounds horrible.

Eleven!. This is worse than I thought. It is rather said to think if they are lighting fires at that age, what will they be doing in 20 years? or maybe they haven't been taught about fire safety or even consequences of such actions.

What temperature is it going to be tomorrow?. I honestly hope Tony Abbott can see what global warming is. Bush fires never use to start this early.

Weather said that a few wet flurries could fly tonight. . . I'd love to see that

I saw some flurries but mostly it has been rain and clouds here. It seems the temperature dropped suddenly and we lost fall.

IT SNOWED! Today was our first snowfall of the year! It wasn't much, but it was enough to turn roofs and cars white. Pretty sure that it's turned to rain by now, but still. . . it was magical!

Nice to see people getting some nice cold snow, with no bushfires outside.

What temperature is it going to be tomorrow?. I honestly hope Tony Abbott can see what global warming is. Bush fires never use to start this early.

It was 35C yesterday, and what a day! Trains were thrown into chaos when electric cables were brought down on top of one outside of St Marys station. Although the bushfires were tamed, and it is cooler today, the air pollution is so bad that I am lucky not to have to go to hospital. We did get to see passing by the convoy of fire fighters sent up to the Blue Mountains from Western Australia and South Australia. Thank you, a million, W.A. & S.A.

Photo opportunities aside, it will be interesting to see what T. Abbott actually does about global warming. Trouble is, we have had such a dry spring it isn't funny. It is in direct opposition to the rain you have been having so far. Since the catastrophic 2009 bushfires of Victoria, we have had two or three years of bountiful rainfall, so there is now a lot of fuel around trees in the Blue Mountains, ready to burn at the slightest spark, especially when high winds have been blowing down leaves and bits of bark.

What also makes this year's bushfires seem worse than usual is the press of population. We've had every bit as bad bushfires in previous years, in the 1920's, 1957, etc. And I can remember bushfires in the 1970's and early 1980's lighting up the view of the mountains from my lounge room window. The last really bad one I can remember was in 1993-1994, which nobody seems to remember. There was even a movie made of one particular incident connected with that time; The man who sued God. But Sydney has since grown enormously in population, and when a dangerous bushfire, in the past, might claim 25 houses, it now claims ten times as much, especially in more recently built up places like Winmalee, Yellow Rock, Yarramundi or Yanderra.

Eleven!. This is worse than I thought. It is rather said to think if they are lighting fires at that age, what will they be doing in 20 years? or maybe they haven't been taught about fire safety or even consequences of such actions.

That particular boy had been suspended from school for assaulting another student, and then teamed up with a couple of other boys to light the Newcastle fires. Judging by his and his father's attitude in the news item, I doubt either of them really care about their actions causing consequences to others, regardless of what they knew about fire safety. One of those consequences has been the closure of all Blue Mountains and North Richmond schools.

On the other hand, a couple of 8 year olds, trying to light a small fire with a broken cigarette lighter, were caught by patrolling police, who took them home to have a word with them and their parents. I'd imagined that public education about fire safety is fairly uniform no matter which part of Australia you go to, that people are told quite frequently about the dangers of lighting fires in hot, dry and windy weather, and that total bans on lighting fires are just that. Banned. Without argument.

Been away from here too long.
It troubles me to hear about all the fires you are having wagga. That, and the way it is effecting your health. I will certainly be praying for some rain, and relief to come your way soon.
As for children and fires, your assesment of the eleven year old and his father speaks volumes of society today. We may have always had troublemakers, but it sure seems to me that there are more, and they care less of how they harm others.
Had our brief episode of snow here as well. Melted soon thereafter, but it was enough to convince the Mrs. and I to get the furnace going. Now I have my knees, and elbows dirty from getting all the outside work done before it's too late.

I can loosely quote Tony abbott saying " This is only an coincidence, some years will have more fires than others and more extreme fires" thats the gist of it anyway. As you may have gather I agree global warming is happening.I dislike Tony Abbotts "blindness" to the issue.

I remember when I lived in queensland(where bush fires were more common, than where I live now), my mother caught some kids attempting to light a fire near a bush area. She can be a rather frightening women, she got out her mobile and threatened to call their parents and than the police. They soon ran off. This makes me think, how many kids attempt to light bush fires a year? some who are caught in time or decide it's a bad idea at the last minuet?. How many kids don't no the dangers of fires. My family will not let a child close to an oven let alone matches. It was drilled into us that fire was extremely dangerous to the point we would only go near wood fires, ovens etc if we were being closely watched.

I think we will have to wait until next month's CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) in Sri Lanka, when a certain Prince Charles, who is presiding, in place of his mother, will be having a word with T.Abbott.

..They soon ran off. This makes me think, how many kids attempt to light bush fires a year? some who are caught in time or decide it's a bad idea at the last minuet?. How many kids don't no the dangers of fires. My family will not let a child close to an oven let alone matches. It was drilled into us that fire was extremely dangerous to the point we would only go near wood fires, ovens etc if we were being closely watched.

I thought fire safety is also part of the school curriculum, just about everywhere in Australia, isn't it? I remember firemen, policemen etc coming around to schools to give lectures on such community matters, even when I was a kid. The other day when I went to return my almost overdue library book, I saw a policeman leaving the next door council chambers with a lady carrying a lot of leaflets, possibly going to a school to give children such talks. I belong to a senior citizen's club where policemen, rural fire service etc are invited as guest speakers at meetings to let us know about what is done in the community. And let us not forget TV public announcements.

I wonder what your mum would say about today's news, when the Defence Department 'fessed up, and apologised, for starting one particularly bad bushfire, in a scheduled ammunition test. I bet she'd have given them curry. Education about fire safety, and any other safety, for that matter, really should apply to adults and government departments as well as little kids.

I hope our Northern Hemisphere friends here on NarniaWeb aren't bored silly with our little conversation. It is obviously coming on to winter there, and already there has been snow. But now and then, during dry summers and autumns, we hear they have had particularly dangerous bushfires or wildfires, in California, in particular. I am wondering if it is due to similarities in climate and vegetation between California & Australia, or do other places in USA get affected with such fires?

I am wondering if it is due to similarities in climate and vegetation between California & Australia, or do other places in USA get affected with such fires?

They pop up quite frequently in the Southwestern states like Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. A few years ago there was a nasty one in Colorado (which is in the Rocky Mountains). The Olympic region (Oregon and Washington) has had some nasty ones too.

It snowed... my feet weren't ready Rained most of the day... It's in the 40's this week... pretty chilly

It snowed... my feet weren't ready Rained most of the day... It's in the 40's this week... pretty chilly

I didn't know it could snow when the temperatures were in the 40s. I thought it had to get down to at least 32.

~Riella

Oh no, Ithi. . . it can snow anywhere in the low to mid 30's. I've never heard of snow in the 40's though, but snow at 35 or 36 is not unheard of. If it is above 32, however, it melts pretty darn quickly.

@ Waggawagga( Too much twitter for me). I will begin with Tony abbott and his part. As you may have guessed Tony abbott and the liberals do not feature on my favourites lists. Basically due to there polices being not to my taste. So him not believing in global warming adds to my dislike of them.

On to fire lectures- I remember having a few during my school years. Many in my qld primary school but not so many when I moved to WA.

I assume many people on here have never really thought about there home/life being threatened by a bush fire just like we think our home and life will not be threatened by a blizzard or a snow storm.