10 April 2024
The first very light snowfall of 2024 fell over the southeastern Drakensberg early on Tuesday afternoon.
“It is very minimal and as expected, the snowfall – as anticipated earlier – is not expected to be widespread. If any more snow were to fall, it would be later tonight or through the night,” says Johan van den Berg, independent agricultural meteorologist.
A video of very light snowfall at Afriski was shared on Snow Report SA’s Facebook page.
Van den Berg says as the conditions for rain clear from Tuesday afternoon (April 9) and move over central and western parts of South Africa, the chance of rain over the Northern Cape, North West, the western half of the Free State, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape is low.
Further rain is possible from around 12 April over KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and eastern parts of Limpopo. These rains are expected to be fairly light.
From 14 to 17 April, these rainfall conditions may expand as far as eastern parts of the Northern Cape, as well as North West and northern parts of the Eastern Cape. “Minimal rain is expected from the latter half of April over most of the summer rainfall region.”
After the current rain system, minimum temperatures are expected to drop quite sharply from 11 to 14 April, with temperatures of -5°C being experienced in northern parts of the Eastern Cape in places like Barkly East, while the mercury could drop to 0°C and 1°C respectively in Middelburg and Aliwal North.
In the southwestern Free State, Fauresmith’s temperature could drop as low as 4°C. The mercury could drop to 1°C in the Northern Cape at Sutherland, to 4°C in Calvinia and 7°C in Prieska. “There is thus a possibility of frost, especially in low-lying areas in the central but particularly southern parts of South Africa.”
Warmer conditions are expected thereafter until around the second week of May, especially over the summer rainfall region. Heavier frost is expected from mid-May onwards.
