A significant wintry blast will ensure temperatures plummet by the end of the week, the sudden cold snap bringing with it the first snow for 2020.
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Orange is predicted to reach a top of four degrees Celcius on Friday as a cold front moves across the state.
With the cold front, Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Gabrielle Woodhouse says, snow is predicted to fall at levels around the 1100-metre mark.
Miss Woodhouse said higher parts of the region, including Mount Canobolas (1395m), will receive a dusting of snow, which should start late Thursday evening and extend into Friday.
That top temperature of four degrees will likely feel a lot colder, too, with winds set to increase.
The higher winds, coupled with low cloud cover and the cold front, will result in the wind chill factor being a significant force on Friday.
It's definitely a very wintry blast. It's significant in terms of the drop in temperature.
- Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Gabrielle Woodhouse
The potential snow will arrive after Orange enjoys more rainfall, tipped to start on Tuesday.
Miss Woodhouse says rain will move across the Central West on Wednesday and Thursday.
There's a 90 per cent chance of rain on Wednesday, with up to 40mm on the radar while Thursday should also see great follow-up falls, with a 90 per cent chance of rain.
There's between 10mm and 20mm expected to fall on Thursday.
A wet week with snow at the tail end will come as a shock to Orange residents, after a reasonably balmy Anzac Day where the mercury peaked at 19.3 degrees Celcius.
"Temperatures are really dropping off," Miss Woodhouse said.
"There will be significant rain and cloud cover thanks to a cold front, which will bring a significantly cooler air mass through the region as it moves moving north over the state."
Orange is predicted to see a top of 17 degrees on Monday, but come Thursday that top temperature will top out at 11 degrees.
"Friday we'll see cooler air and the max temperatures will drop again," the BoM forecaster said.
"It'll be single digits for most places that are slightly elevated, and Orange is forecast for a top of four (degrees).
"It's definitely a very wintry blast. It's significant in terms of the drop in temperature."
Orange hasn't had any significant rain since April 11 when 10.4mm was recorded, but additional rain to end the month continue a wet start to the year, with 324mm recorded up until the end of March.
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