November snow predicted for Orange, with coverage forecast to be the region's best in Spring in nearly 20 years

With the region in the grips of a relentless La Nina system that's poured more rainy days on us in 2022 than any of the previously drenched years of 2020 and 2021, snow is forecast for Melbourne Cup day next week.

Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke says snow could fall as low as 800 metres on Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning, signalling the sort of cold start to November the city hasn't seen in about "10 to 20 years".

The higher parts of the Orange region could see as much as five centimetres of snow, Mr Dutschke said.

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting a top temperature of nine degrees Celsius for Wednesday in Orange.

The wintry cold front creeping towards the region will also bring some very chilly wind gusts with it, meaning the feels like temperature across Orange will be unseasonably low on November 1. Winter is never far away.

Mr Dutschke says in Orange the snow will likely be a few flurries and might not stay long on the ground, which isn't surprising given how wet it is.

Orange has had 146 days of rain to October 28 this year, which is more than 2021 (135 days) and 2020 (144 days) to the same point in the year. The average number of rainy days for Orange, at the Bureau station at the airport, is 120 days.

Mr Dutschke said the cold front set to cover the region on Tuesday is extremely winter-like, and is something Orange hasn't seen at this point in the year in around two decades.

"It's definitely unusual for this late in the year," he said.

"For the central west, it's rare to see this sort of cold, snowy system."

Places in southern NSW could see snow as low as 600m.

The cold snap will follow a reasonably sunny weekend across Orange, with tops of 15 and 18 degrees Celsius on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

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