Snow forecast for Cape next week as cold front hits several areas

A cold front is expected to bring a big drop in temperatures, rain and even snow to parts of the country from Sunday evening into Monday. 

According to the SA Weather Service (Saws), Gauteng will start feeling the colder weather by Sunday night, with showers likely on Monday. KwaZulu-Natal can expect rain on and off throughout Monday, colder temperatures and possibly snow over the Drakensberg and nearby high areas while the Eastern Cape will also see rain — with a higher chance along the coast — and possible snow in the mountains.

Saws forecaster Lehlogonolo Thobela said a cold front is set to make landfall on Saturday over the Western Cape, bringing windy and cold conditions, along with scattered to isolated showers, particularly along the province’s southwest coast.

The cold front is expected to move further east on Sunday.

“Scattered showers and rain are expected along most parts of the central and the eastern parts of the Western Cape, but it will be widespread along the south coast of the country, which would include the southeast coast of the Western Cape and the coastal areas of the southwestern parts of the province. A 30% chance of showers and rain is expected over the southern parts of the Northern Cape, as well as into the Eastern Cape,” he said.

On Sunday it's expected to be very cold over the southern parts of the Northern Cape and northern areas of the Western Cape. 

“We're expecting a possibility of light snow over the high-lying grounds of the Western Cape, as well as the southern parts of the Northern Cape, just covering areas around Sutherland. In the Eastern Cape it will be in the extreme eastern parts, just around Barkly East, into the escarpments of Lesotho and covering the Drakensberg, where we're seeing windy conditions, mainly over the central interior, which will cover areas around the Free State, into the southern parts of KwaZulu-Natal," Thobela said.

There is also the possibility of windy conditions over the Eastern Cape.

Monday will see the most significant weather impacts as on-and-off rain is expected over KwaZulu-Natal from 8am into the evening. 

Thobela said temperatures will drop over KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State, Gauteng, parts of Mpumalanga and the eastern parts of the North West. 

“High-lying grounds of the Eastern Cape are expected to have disruptive snow.

“Scattered to widespread chance of rain and showers over KwaZulu-Natal as well as the Eastern Cape on Monday. If you'll be in Gauteng, you can expect a partly cloudy day, with a 30% chance of showers and cold temperatures that are expected, especially for the central, as well as the southern parts of the province.”

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