A history of snow in South Africa 1835 – 2024

I researched and wrote the original article in August 2012 and posted it on my old blog on 08 August 2012. It was the first such article on the history of snowfall in South Africa (1853-1990) and has been copied by many. I have now updated my original article with more information. Research is based on newspapers of the times.

When it snows in South Africa, people go crazy. Not much work is achieved on snow days, what with office staff running outside to catch snowflakes and take photos. It doesn’t snow often in South Africa, or does it?

The Drakensberg has three snow seasons: early-snow season (April–June), mid-snow season (July and August), and late-snow season (September and October). Snow in South Africa is an observational phenomenon which isn’t scientifically measured like rainfall.

24 April 1835
The mountains around the Kat River Settlement were covered with snow from the summits almost to the base.

1840s
In the 1840s, John Montgomery, founder of Burghersdorp in the Cape Colony, purchased the farm Zuurfontein (Doornhoek). He recalled that at the time, the place was uninhabitable due to tigers, wolves, wild dogs, jackals, and snow fell so deep on the mountains in the winter that nothing could live.

06 May 1851
Snow lay thickly on the hills overlooking the Fort Napier military camp in present-day Napierville. Thick snow also covered the Zwaartkop Mountain.

16 May 1851
Heavy snowfall was reported in Graaff-Reinet, making a strange contrast with the heat that preceded it.

1853
There was a severe eight-day snowstorm in the Rand.

27 April 1853
The mountains in the Camdeboo were covered with thick snow.

03 September 1853
A snowstorm occurred in the Eastern Cape. Hundreds of people froze to death in the districts of Graaff-Reinet, Burgersdorp and Somerset East. The South African Commercial Advertiser newspaper: “We have been blessed with a gentle warm rain during the past week. In the Camdeboo, however, we noticed the mountains were thickly covered with snow, so that we may anticipate a continuance of the delightfully cold bracing weather which has set in after the rain.”

21 September 1853
Snow fell in and around Pietermaritzburg.

04 July 1864
Heavy snowfall covered the hills above Healdtown. The Winterberg was also covered in thick snow.

02 October 1867
The Katberg road was covered with three feet of snow.

July and August 1869
Pietermaritzburg experienced intense cold. Ice was several inches thick, and heavy snow falls covered the hills beyond Fort Napier. Frances Colenso, the wife of Bishop John Colenso, wrote in a letter dated 18 September 1869 that from Bishopstowe on the eastern side of Pietermaritzburg, she saw snow on the neighbouring hills which lasted for more than a week. Snow was lightly spread over the hills overlooking the Town Bush valley. Snow also fell heavily for three days over Northern Natal in August 1869.

29 April 1871
The Winterberg mountains were covered with snow this week. The Katberg was also covered, the snow being in some places four feet deep.

June-July 1871
The Katberg and Winterberg mountains were covered with snow.

20 July 1872
The whole range from the Amatolas near Bedford was covered with snow.

Mid-September 1873
Snow was reported in Pietermaritzburg. There were severe losses by transport riders under the Katberg mountain, and to farmers on the Bontebok flats. Mr S. Miles lost 30 oxen. Several farmers on the Bontebok flats lost several thousand sheep.

11 July 1874
The Katberg was covered with snow.
Phillipstown received a considerable amount of snow. Traffic was impeded, and there were serious losses of stock. Two people perished from exposure.
At Phillipolis the snow was 3 inches deep.
Snow was reported in Pietermaritzburg.

25 June 1876
Heavy snowfalls in Kimberley.

July 1881
Table Mountain’s heaviest snowfall was recorded in July 1881 when children were able to play snow games as far down as the railway line in Wynberg.

28 August 1882
Heavy snow fell over Potchefstroom.

11-14 July 1886
Snow fell from Sunday afternoon until Wednesday morning in the Eastern Cape. At Graaff-Reinet the snow was lying 30cm deep, residents who had been living there for more than 60 years had never seen anything like it. At Molteno the snow was 60 cm deep, and there were many stock losses, mainly on the night of the 12th.

17-18 August 1888
On Mr J W King’s farm, Rietfontein, which was occupied by Mr S King, the snow had been falling all day Friday. That evening, a strong wind sprang up and by early morning it was a gale. The roof of the house was completely blown off, and shortly thereafter the walls collapsed. Mr King had a narrow escape after being woken up by a falling brick.

01 August 1898
Snow was reported along the Town Hill range and Swartkop in Pietermaritzburg.

09-12 June 1902
The most severe snowstorm to hit the country swept over a large portion of the interior. On the 9th it also snowed on the Palmiet River flats at Caledon. During the next three days snow fell unceasingly in the Karoo, Eastern and North-Eastern Cape, the Free State and Natal. Strong winds accompanied the snowstorm and there were great stock losses. In the North-Eastern Cape, where the snow lay 60 cm deep, thousands of small stock perished. In East Griqualand, the snow lay 1,5 metres deep, and more than 13,000 sheep froze to death. Snow fell on the Drakensberg and at Charlestown. Heavy snow falls were reported in Ixopo, Bulwer and Edendale. Snow also fell on a series of hills in the vicinity of Richmond. High winds caused considerable damage to timber plantations and the roofs of houses in the environs of Swartkop. A number of buildings in Richmond and Ixopo were destroyed by the winds. The blizzard also hit Johannesburg and the Rand. This snowstorm was known as the Peace Snow, as the Anglo-Boer War ended on 31 May 1902.

15 May 1903
Sleety snow fell over Johannesburg, but melted away almost immediately.

04 September 1904
Snow fell over parts of the Transvaal.

31 May-01 June 1905
The Great Blizzard of 1905 hit Natal and adjacent territories. Intense winds with rain, hail, snowfalls, flooding, thunder and lightning caused widespread devastation in much of Natal. Many people died of exposure and were later found buried in snowdrifts. Others were killed by lightning or drowned. Livestock losses were reported from across Natal. Snow fell at Pietermaritzburg railway station in Napierville. Deep snowdrifts were seen in Mooi River and Nottingham Road. Some oxen were buried in snow with only their noses visible. Trees, telegraph poles as well as wood and iron houses were blown over by the winds. Airborne sheets of corrugated iron killed some cattle in Pietermaritzburg. Several small and larger vessels sank, including the entire ferry fleet belonging to a Durban shipping firm.

08 August 1906
Heavy snowfalls fell over the South-Western Cape. In Upper Roeland Street snowballs were being thrown early that morning. Heavy snowfalls were also reported in Worcester, Touws River and the Langkloof. For the first time in living memory, it also snowed for half an hour in George.

16-18 August 1909
The heaviest snowfall yet was recorded in Johannesburg. It started snowing on the evening of the 16th and carried on through the next day. Snow lay 30-40cm deep. On the 17th the temperature remained below freezing point all day.
The street car and train services experienced delays. The evening Cape Mail arrived an hour late. The Empire and His Majesty’s cinemas were still busy in the evening. The Fire Department attended to two calls on the 17th – the first at Jubilee Mine and the second at Bradley’s office (coal yards) in Braamfontein.
By 4:30 p.m. there were snowball fights on Commissioner Street. People in the Bank of Africa Building started throwing chunks of snow from the parapet on to the pavement. A police officer entered the building and put a stop to that. Outside the Rand Club snowball fights with the Stock Exchange brokers carried on until nightfall.
Superintendent Gale, who was in charge of the police on the streets, had a busy day keeping over-boisterous snowballers in line. Five men were arrested in Braamfontein for snowballing policemen: Harry Baxter (night watchman), John Keating (mechanic), Alf Webber (bath proprietor), Joe Steyn (electrician) and E. Walker (auctioneer). All were charged at Marshall Square where Station Sargeant Syms, an ex-City of London a policeman, was in charge. Mr Harold Strange’s chauffeur, while driving into town on the morning of 18 August, was hit in the eye by a snowball that contained a stone.
Telegraphic communications were down for most of the country.
Snow also fell over Pretoria.

05 September 1913
A slight snowstorm was accompanied by an icy wind in Johannesburg.

29-30 September 1913
Heavy snow fell on Monday evening and on Tuesday at Venterstad, Lady Grey and Elliot where it lay 30cm deep in town. Heavy stock losses were suffered. Snow also fell at Kimberley for the first time in 30 years.

24 August 1914
Snow started falling at 10 a.m. that Monday in Great Drakenstein valley and continued until 12:30. The depth of snow varied from about 4cm in the valley to nearly 8cm higher up.

21-22 June 1915
Rain and snow fell in many parts of Natal. The slopes of Swartkop were covered in snow, with snow also visible at Boshoff’s Road in Mount Michael. Snow fell on the Drakensberg, Umzimkulu, East Griqualand, Ixopo, Bulwer, Byrne, Nel’s Rust (Baynesfield), Karkloof, Howick, Curry’s Post, Nottingham Road, Rosetta, Mooi River, Estcourt, Riet Vlei, Greytown, Elandslaagte, Waschbank, Dundee, Glencoe, Besters, the Biggarsberg and in Wakkerstroom.
An advertisement entitled Snow on Zwaartkop was inserted in the Natal Witness, 3 July 1915 by W. Watson Robertson Studio of Chapel Street, urging readers to buy excellent photographs
of this unusual and picturesque sight

18-19 July 1915
An official parade to welcome back the 47 officers and 853 men of the 1st and 2nd Natal Carbineers and the attached Natal Telegraph Corps was held on 19 July 1915 during World War I. The event was attended by the Governor-General of South Africa and his wife, Lord and Lady Buxton, at the Oval and Pavilion in Alexandra Park, near the centre of Pietermaritzburg. The troops had returned to the city following the capitulation of German South-West Africa on 09 July 1915. The day of the parade was bleak and bitter with a strong wind blowing off the snow-clad mountains.
Snow also fell at Edendale and the Swartkop was covered in light snow.
Heavy snow fell in parts of the Transvaal, including Johannesburg, and Pilgrim’s Rest. Snow lay 5 to 7cm deep. In Germiston, people had snowball fights on the corner of President Street at what was known as Shark’s Alley.
Heavy snow fell in many areas of the Orange Free State and in some areas of the Cape.
Volksrust received 12 inches of snow on the 19th July. Bloemfontein woke up to a deep layer of snow on the 20th. One resident said so much snow hadn’t been seen since 1886. In Dordrecht it snowed for 24 hours.

08-10 August 1917
Snow fell intermittently but was washed away by rain. Snow and sleet fell in Johannesburg on 08 August. The snow started falling at 6 a.m. accompanied by a piercing wind. By 9 a.m. the ground was covered in white, but by 11 a.m. the sleet had caused chaos on the roads.
On the West Rand, snow started falling during the breakfast hour on 08 August, accompanied by a strong wind. In the drifts on the northern side of Florida, Roodepoort and Witpoortjie, snow lay several feet deep. Farmers suffered stock losses through the exposure of their young stock.
Volksrust and district received several inches of snow.
In Potchefstroom, there was a gale-force wind all night, followed by rain and a little snow. Sleet fell over most of Pretoria.

1919
Snow fell on Table Mountain.

07-09 September 1921
Heavy snow fell over the eastern interior. At Kokstad it started snowing early on Wednesday morning (the 7th) and continued for 15 hours. On Thursday morning snow fell for many hours at Ladysmith and most of the Natal interior. In the Midlands it was lying 35 to 40cm deep (Greytown vicinity). At Newcastle the depth was 10cm. Snow fell at Volksrust and Harrismith. Between Harrismith and Van Reenen snow lay up to 60cm deep on the rail tracks. Railway trucks arriving in Pietermaritzburg from up-country on 08 September were covered in snow. More snow fell on Friday (the 9th) over the south-eastern Transvaal and that morning also in Johannesburg.
Snow was reported in Himeville, Bulwer, Dargle, Kamberg, Byrne, Nel’s Rust, Howick, Nottingham Road, Mooi River, Greytown, Ladysmith, Dundee, Newcastle, Utrecht, Volksrust, Kokstad, and
Harrismith. A photograph of the snow-capped Swartkop was published on the front page of the Natal Witness on 12 September 1921.

15-20 May 1922
Heavy snowfalls fell over the interior, in places up to a metre deep. Natal was cut off from the rest of the country for six days. There was also snow in some parts of the Free State.

11-12 June 1926
Snow fell in the Rand.

26-27 June 1922
In Pietermaritzburg, the Swartkop was described covered in snow. The road through Cedara was blocked by snow, while thick snow was reported at Elandskop. The annual agricultural show at Ixopo was postponed due to snow covering the ground and roads. Snow fell in Harding and the surrounding district. Snow was also reported in Byrne.

11 July 1926
The first snowfall since 1917, and the heaviest since 1915, fell over Johannesburg, the Reef and a large part of the Highveld on the afternoon of 11th July. The snow continued for about three hours. At places in Johannesburg city centre snow lay up to 7cm deep and telephone wires broke under the weight of snow. Johannesburg motorists and motor-cyclists had to return home by train as Main Reef Road was impossible.
The West Rand received almost 8cms of snow. Snow fell at Brakpan, Germiston and Krugersdorp where it was measured at 12cms deep. The eastern Highveld saw light snow falls. Snow was reported in Breyten, Ermelo, Volksrust and Standerton.

21 July 1926
Snow, hail and rain swept through most of the Cape province today. Heavy snow fell in the wine and fruit-growing districts, breaking a long drought. In the Touws River district there was snow on the hilltops, valleys, and in the orchards and vineyards nestling on the foothills of the Langeberg, Hex, Brandwacht and Drakenstein mountains. Cape Town experienced sleet. In Worcester, the mayor Mr J P Malan said it was the coldest winter he had experienced. Mr Muller, an old resident in the Brandwacht mountain area, said that the snow had previously never reached his farm until now. Oudtshoorn had the heaviest snowfall since the Anglo-Boer War.

03-04 September 1926
Heavy snowfalls over the south-eastern Transvaal that Friday and Saturday. In Volksrust it lay 20cm deep. The Wakkerstroom area was covered in a white blanket and large stock losses were suffered. Light snow fell at Klerksdorp. The eastern Free State, Reitz, Bethlehem and Memel also had heavy snowfalls.

27 July 1927
It snowed over the Rand.

26 August 1927
A heavy snowstorm hit Natal in the evening of 26 August. Snow was visible on the slopes and top of Swartkop, and on the hills around Pietermaritzburg. The snow remained on the ground for the weekend. The Drakensberg was a wall of ice and snow. Snow also fell in the Winterton-Loskop area. Birds and small wildlife died of exposure in Rosetta. In the Midlands, wattle trees were damaged by the weight of the snow. Snow was reported in Franklin, Kokstad, on the Ingeli Mountain, on the hills overlooking Estcourt, in Mooi River, and in Weenen. Snow also fell on the N’Kandhla mountains and the Qudeni Range, as well as on the Biggarsberg and environs, Dundee, and Harrismith.

Circa 1928
Snow fell over Pretoria.

08-10 July 1929
On the 4th and again from the 8th to the 10th snow fell over an extensive area of the southern Cape, from Laingsburg / Fraserburg to as far as Middelburg / Cradock, George, Somerset East, and Graaff-Reinet. At Paardekraal in the Beaufort West district the average snow depth was 60cm. Heavy snow and rain fell in many areas in Natal. Swartkop was covered in snow. Snow fell in Underberg, Ixopo, Elandskop, Nottingham Road, Mooi River, Harrismith and the Orange Free State. Snow was also reported between Creighton and Kokstad, in Franklin, Matatiele and in East Griqualand.
Naauwpoort was practically shut down. Snow started falling at 8 p.m. on the 9th July and by midnight it was a blizzard. Railway operations were suspended at 2 a.m. An old resident said it was the worst snowstorm he had seen since leaving Scotland.

28-29 July 1930
Six inches of snow fell over Johannesburg on the 28th. By sunset it had turned into slush. African Film Productions Ltd. quickly captured photos of the snow-clad city and presented them in a short film at the Bijou cinema on the 29th.
There were several snow injuries. Duncan Stewrat (74), an unemployed boilermaker, slipped and fell at the corner of Sauer and Market Streets. He was admitted to the General hospital with a minor injury to the head. A man was electrocuted in Blommestein Street in Krugersdorp when he came into contact with a live wire that had fallen across the street due to the weight of snow. John Teunis Dragd (52), a well-known Johannesburg diamond buyer, slipped and fell in Joubert Street, breaking a leg. C S Smith (57),of Turffontein, slipped in Plein Street and fractured his leg. Sarah Shyler (47) fell in De Villiers Street and broke her arm. R Henry, Mrs B Ingram, M Katz and J Joselowitz were all treated at the General Hospital for minor injuries from falls. A man named Daniel was treated at the Non-European Hospital after he slipped off a platform on the premises of Vacuum Oil Co. in Eloff Street Extension and injured his hip. In Pretoria, G Salcombe employed by Messrs Johnstons Ltd. and clearing gutters, fell through a skylight and suffered cuts to his face and body.
At Johannesburg Zoo staff found 13 wild birds and one sick springbok dead. A crocodile and a black mamba were frozen, but revived in the boiler room. The 28th was the coldest day and night on the Rand.
Seven trains from Durban reached Johannesburg 50 minutes late, filled with passengers returning to the Rand from their seaside holiday. In some parts of the city, telegraph lines buckled under the weight of snow.
The East Rand had sunshine, a thunderstorm, rain, sleet, hail, snow and a bitter wind. Snow started falling over Brakpan at about 6 p.m. on the 28th and continued for 45 minutes. leaving about half an inch of snow. Benoni and Springs had sleet in the day, followed by snow in the evening.
Krugersdorp district had heavy snowfall. In Coronation Park it was over a foot.
An old video of the snow in Johannesburg: https://cutt.ly/LrnKcfZj

01 September 1931
Snow fell in many parts of the Free State and the Cape. Passengers on the Union Express train, which arrived in Johannesburg in the aftenoon, saw snow all the way to Kimberley. Snow fell at Kroonstad for the first time since 1916. Snow fell at Bethulie for 30 minutes. For the first time in nine years, Bloemfontein experienced a heavy snowfall on the 2nd. Snowballing was popular with schoolboys in Heilbron where snow fell from 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. The last snowstorm in Heilbron was eight years ago. Carnarvon experienced its first snowstorm in 40 years. Springfontein, Ladybrand, Fort Beaufort, Middelburg, Bedford, Venterstad, and Mount Fletcher all reported snow. The Katberg mountains were covered in snow.

08 June 1932
For the second time only in the last 30 years Johannesburg has had snow in June. July is the commonest month for snow in South Africa. Light snow fell on the 8th in most parts of the city. Grocers reported a run on tinned soup, mostly from flatdwellers. Beef tea was also popular, with a few bars in the city still offering it in the winter months. In Vrededorp, houses with broken window panes stuffed them with rags and newspapers, while families sat around fires in parrafin tins inside the houses.
Nigel, on the East Rand, had its first snow in 23 years. Lichtenburg had its first snow in 30 years. Witbank, Ermelo, Balfour, Ventersdorp, Wakkerstroom, Wolmaransstad, Volksrust, Potchefstroom, Heilbron, Coligny, Klerksdorp, Warburton, and Pietermaritzburg all reported snowfalls. Roodepoort, Randfontein and Krugersdorp also had snow.
The snow fell in the eastern Cape, the Free State, Natal, and the eastern and western Transvaal. From Newcastle to Volksrust the snow lay up to six inches deep. Elliot in the Cape had 3 inches of snow.
Captain Frank Charles Elliot-Wilson flew the Imperial Airways liner, City of Judhpur, from Cape Town to Rand Airport, landing at 5 p.m. on the 8th. He said it was dark and there was snow falling all the way from Cape Town to Victoria West.

22-24 June 1933
Snow and rain broke the drought in the Cape and the Free State. Fairly heavy snowfalls were reported on the Hex River mountains and in the central and south-eastern Cape. The Drakensberg saw heavy snowfalls. Snow fell in Bloemfontein on the 22nd. Bethlehem had a faily heavy snowfall. Heilbron had several inches of snow on the 22nd. In Balfour it snowed for over an hour. Johannesburg had a few snowflakes.

28-29 August 1933
Heavy snow fell over the southern and Eastern Cape. In the Eastern Cape farmers lost 50,000 head of small stock.

26 May 1935
Snow fell in the evening in Bloemfontein and over the southern Free State.

10-11 September 1936
Heavy snow, accompanied by strong south-westerly winds, fell over the Eastern Cape, Natal, the eastern Free State, the Highveld, and as far north as Nylstroom and Pietersburg. There were heavy stock losses and several people froze to death. On the 11th it snowed all day in Johannesburg. The last heavy snowfall in Germiston was in August 1926. Heavy snow fell over the whole of the Drakensberg. Snow was reported on Swartkop and in Underberg, Nottingham Road, Karkloof, the Glencoe district, Dundee, Newcastle, the Vryheid district, Van Reenen’s Pass, Harrismith, Kokstad district and in East Griqualand.

13 July 1937
A blizzard raged on Table Mountain from 7:30 p.m. until 9 a.m. leaving the mountain with two inches of snow.
Violent headwinds over the snow-clad Drakensberg made it risky for South African Airways to the Simon van der Stel from Durban to Johannesburg, and the air mail flight was cancelled.
Ladybrand experienced a 30-minutes snowstorm. A few flakes fell in Johannesburg and Springs. Fouriesberg and Clarens also received some snow.

20 June 1938
The Drakensberg mountains were capped by a heavy mantle of snow. Snowfalls were reported in the Free State, Natal and some parts of the Transvaal. Johannesburg experienced rain, sun, hail, and a slight snowfall. Kimberley had two short snowfalls which melted as it touched the ground. Snow fell continously for eight hours in Harrismith. Several farmers were marooned on their farms where snow lay up to 2 feet deep. Arlington experienced a heavy snowfall. Snow was reported in Halfway House. Wakkerstroom had snow on the 21st. In Frankfort the snow fell for three hours. The Van Reenen district was under 16 inches of snow.
The Salvation Army soup kitchens in Ophirton, Fordsburg and Vredesdorp were very busy in the bitter cold.

15-16 November 1938
Reports of snow and mid-winter conditions came in from the Cape Province. The mountains at Barkly East were snow-capped. Snow fell throughout the night in Middelburg district. The Zwagershoek mountains were covered in snow. Snow also fell on the mountains near Adelaide. In the Cthcart district, the Winterburg mountain was white from top to bottom. At one farm in the Grahamstown district there was 3 inches of snow.

27 April 1939
At Herschel the snow was six inches deep, and damage down to trees was the worst since 1902.
The mountains around Barkly East were covered in snow.
Heavy snowfall was reported in Steynsburg.
The Springfontein district was covered in snow, and snow fell in Rouxville. Snow fell overnight (25 April) in Dordrecht and Colesberg.
The Drakensberg peaks were covered in snow. Oliviershoek reported heavy snowfall. Sleet fell in Estcourt and the surrounding districts received heavy snowfalls.

24-25 September 1939
Heavy snowfalls were experienced in the north-eastern Cape. An old video of snow in the Drakensberg: https://cutt.ly/ErnKbLs9

05 May 1940
A severe snowstorm, accompanied in many places by heavy rainfall, caused extensive damage in the Eastern Cape, Natal, the Free State and the Highveld. Trains on the Natal main line were snowbound. By 6 p.m. on the 5th the main road to the coast was under 18 inches of snow. Telephone and telegraph lines were down beyond Standerton, and all communication with the whole of Natal was cut off. Communications only started getting back on the 7th. The snow belt began about 10 miles from Standerton, near Kromdraai, and extended to Ngogo. Heavy snowfall was also reported in Ermelo. Bethlehem reported heavy snowfall on the morning of the 6th. Snow fell at Breyten, Piet Retief, and Volksrust.
Mr J H Perkins, of Boksburg, kept a diary of the storm. He had left the Rand on the train to Durban at 9:50 a.m. on the 5th. It was already bitterly cold. It was snowing heavily by the time the train reached Platrand. It was still snowing heavily by the time they reached Paardekop. The snowstorm was at its worst between Paardekop and Volksrust. The train came to a stop close to Volksrust, where it remained until the next morning. There weren’t enough beds for all the 200 passengers. The train crew kept the passengers fed with what they had onboard. It took them 10 hours to reach Glencoe Junction. With Mr Perkins was his two and a half year old chilld and his mother-in-law Mrs A E Burt of Boksburg (76). She had never seen a winter that bad.

1941
Snow fell in Bloemfontein. An old video: https://cutt.ly/DrnKWJDg

28 July 1946
About six inches of snow fell on Table Mountain.

10-15 July 1947
Snow fell in Johannesburg and the Reef for the first time in two years, shortly before 10 p.m. on 14th July, but only last for 20 minutes. Snow was first reported in Cleveland at 9.50 p.m., and in Parktown North at 10:05 p.m. People scooped snow off the roofs of cars in Jeppe Street. Sleet fell in Vereeniging and Potchefstroom. Boksburg and Randfontein reported light snow.
Rain, snow and gale-force winds were experienced over the southern Cape. The mountains around Ceres were white with snow. Snow fell in Paarl for the second time this year. A piecing wind blew over the snow-capped hills of the Karoo. On the 14th and 15th, it snowed at Uniondale, and at Adelaide it was the heaviest snowfalls seen in living memory, with sheep deep in snow. Heavy snow also fell at Hogsback. The Outeniqua range was covered in snow. Heavy snow fell in Murraysburg and Richmond. Kimberley had some sleet.
Bloemfontein saw a brief snowstorm in the afternoon that reduced visibility. Snow also fell at Springfontein, Smithfield, Wepener, and Trompsburg.

25 July 1947
The mountains at Worcester and the Hottentots-Holland Mountains were already snow-covered early that morning. It also snowed that morning at Noupoort, Coligny and Mafikeng. The heaviest snowfall was over the north-eastern Cape, the southern and north-eastern Free State, the Drakensberg area, the eastern Transvaal and the Natal Midlands.
Heavy snow, sleet and rain fell in the Midlands. At Nottingham Road and Mooi River the snow was 3 inches deep. The Drakensberg mountains are covered in snow. At Van Reenen the snow was 12 inches deep by midday. Senekal and Marquad both had snow. The road between Winburg and Kroonstad was not suitable for safe travel.

28 July 1948
Snow was reported on Table Mountain, two to six inches in places. This much snow last fell on the mountain on 28 July 1946. Although snowfalls in winter are not unusual, heavy falls are rare. The mountain’s heaviest fall was recorded in July 1881 when children were able to play snow games as far down as the railway line in Wynberg. Four engineering students decided to bunk a lecture went up Table Mountain to see the snow.
Snow fell on Devil’s Peak for the first time in living memory. The Hottentots Holland range was covered in snow, as was the Langeberg range in the Albertina district. There was heavy snowfall on the Worcester mountains. The mountains around Stellenbosch were also covered in snow.

25 July 1949
The Worcester and Hottentots-Holland mountains were snow-covered by early morning. It also snowed in Noupoort, Coligny and Mafikeng. The heaviest snowfall was over the north-eastern Cape, the southern and north-eastern Free State, the Drakensberg area, the eastern Transvaal and the Natal Midlands.

06-07 December 1950
Yes, it is the height of the South African summer, but snow fell on the Wintershoek Mountains near Tulbagh on the 6th. The next day it snowed in the districts of Murraysburg, Aberdeen and Tarkastad. In Cradock, where it started falling in the morning, the snow was 20cm deep by 13:00.

24-25 July 1951
Heavy snow fell in the Boland. It snowed on Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak, Stellenboschberg and the mountains at Great Drakenstein. The higher mountains towards the interior received the heaviest snowfalls in many years. Loeriesfontein also saw heavy snowfalls, as well as in the Karoo and the Eastern Cape. In Cradock the snow lay 30cm deep. At Palingskloof in the district snow completely covered fences on some farms.

May 1952
Heavy snow fell in the Boland. It snowed on Table Mountain, Devil’s Peak and Stellenboschberg.

29 July 1953
Snow fell at Springbok for the first time since 1927.

22 October 1953
Exceptionally heavy snowfalls were reported at Lady Frere, Mount Fletcher, Indwe, Sterkstroom, Steynsburg, Aliwal North, Sneeuberg, Burghersdorp, Molteno, Murraysburg, Colenso, and Rouxville. The first october snowfall since 1922 covered the mountains in the Rouxville district.

13-14 September 1953
Large parts of the country were covered by a snow blanket. Several mountain passes were closed. At Sutherland the snow lay 20cm deep on some farms. De Aar and Venterstad also saw snow. Molteno had the heaviest snowfall in 25 years. At Mount Frere it lay up to a metre deep on the mountains. Heavy snow fell in Natal, as well as the eastern Transvaal. From Bethal to beyond Ermelo it lay 30cm deep in places. Immense stock losses were suffered. At Dordrecht snow lay 2,5 metres deep, causing road closures.

21 July 1954
Snow fell in all four provinces today. In Volksrust the snow lay about 5 inches deep in drifts. In Natal snow fell on the mountains around Newcastle. Dundee had some sleet. Snow fell in Bloemfontein, the first since 1947. Light snow fell around Fauresmith. At Springfontein the snow lay 3 inches deep, the heaviest fall in 14 years. Snow covered the ground in Smithfield. The eastern part of the Kestell district and Tweefontein also saw snowfalls. In the Cape the mountains around Cradock and Burgersdorp were covered in snow. Dordrecht aslo received some snow. Mount Fletcher and Adelaide had heavy snowfalls. The Drakensberg near Indwe was covered in snow for the second time in five days. There was heavy snowfall in Uniondale and Lady Grey. The mountains around De Aar were covered in snow. Wakkerstroom had its heaviest snowfall in years.

22-23 May 1954
Light snow fell in Johannesburg and parts of the West Rand, followed by hail and rain. The Drakensberg was covered in snow from the Cathkin area to Mont Aux Sources. Snow fell at Underberg soon after midday and by 5 p.m. there was more than two inches. The first snowfall in the eastern Cape was on the peaks above Langkloof. Snow was also reported at Loxton, Matatiele and Mount Fletcher.

July 1955
Heavy snowfalls in Natal.

25 May 1956
There was snow in and around Johannesburg. Primrose Hill and the Germiston district was covered in about 2 inches of heavy snow. The snowfall was Germiston’s first in 11 years. At Jan Smuts Airport aircraft had more than an inch of snow. A Skymaster bound for Port Elizabeth was forced to return after taxi-ing out. The aircarft left 30 minutes later, after snow was cleared from its ailerons. City workers driving in Johannesburg were late for work as cars covered in snow slowed down morning traffic. Children on the Rand were delighted to see snow, most of them for the first time.
The eastern Cape, the eastern Free State and Natal also had snow.

08 June 1956
Light snow fell over the Rand, melting as it touched the ground. The snowfall was heavier outside central Johannesburg, with snowflakes reported in Parktown, Hillbrow and Baragwanath. Soon after the evening aircraft from Cape Town landed at Jan Smuts Airport, with Prime Minister J G Strijdom onboard, it started snowing at Jan Smuts. At the airport exit, he had to walk past about 250 Blach Sash women protesting.
In Pretoria, there were snowflakes on the morning of the 9th. Snow fell all day at Beaufort West. Victoria West had snow in the morning. All the mountain peaks in the western Cape were snow-capped. Motorists on the national road between Worcester and Wellington slid through slush on Du Toit’s Kloof. Winburg and Wepeber in the Free State also had light snowfalls.

10 June 1956
Snow fell again in Johannesburg. In the north-eastern suburbs it fell sporadically from about 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. covering the ground in about 2 inches of snow. The first reports came from Norwood, Orange Grove, Bellevue and Waverley. Snow was also reported in Kew, Oaklands, Elandsfontein, Fairview and Jeppe. The pavements were covered in a mixture of sleet, snow and ice. In Walters street in Orange Grove, a traffic jam was caused by motorists getting out of their cards to clean their windshields. Mr Acacio Forte, of Norwood, and his friends built a life-size snow-woman in Norwood.
Along a 25-mile stretch of the Johannesburg-Lourenco Marques national road – from Machadodorp to Modderfontein – heavy snowfall made it difficult for motorists to keep on the road. By 6 p.m. there was six inches of snow on the road. belfast, in the eastern Transvaal, also had snowfall from the early afternoon to late in the night.
Ceres and Worcester’s mountains were snow-capped. Robertson experienced a week of heavy snow and frost. The snow at Victoria West caused a Piper Cruiser light aircraft to force-land in a field beside the national road about 20 miles from town. Shortly after the pilot, Mr W E McCann, and his passenger, had taken off from Victoria West the engine started “coughing”. The drop in temperature had caused the carburettor to freeze up. After dismantling and cleaning the carburettor, the pilot flew back to Cape Town.

21–23 September 1956
Gale-force winds, sleet, snow and rain struck Natal and East Griqualand. Snow covered the Drakenberg peaks. Snow flurries were reported in Sweetwaters, Hilton, Nottingham Road and near the Hella-Hella Pass. Snow also fell in Byrne. Electricity and telephone networks as well as buildings were damaged in many areas by the high winds.

01-03 July 1957
Heavy snowfalls and rain over northern Natal and the eastern Highveld.
By 2 a.m. on 2nd July, snow was falling within 32 miles of Johannesburg. Roads between the Transvaal and Natal and between the Free State and Natl were blocked from sunset on 1st July. Police patrols outside Springs and Alberton at midnight stopped motorists from Johannesburg on the Natal road to warn them not to drive further than Standerton. Rail service between Johannesburg and Durban was halted by 10 p.m. on the 1st July. Aircraft due from Durban at Jan Smuts Airport at 9:45 p.m. was diverted to Kimberley.
Snow fell thickly in Volksrust and lightly in Newcastle. Hundreds of holidaymakers were stranded when car traffic was stopped between the Highveld and Ladysmith on the Johannesburg-Durban national road. Four motorists spend the night in the Volksrust police cells as there was no nother accommodation.
Snow covered Wakkerstroom, Piet Retief, Ermelo and Paulpietersburg.
In the Harrismith district, farmers and labourers worked through the night to get sheep into kraals.
Meide Meki, a 116-year-old woman, was found dead on the 3rd July close to her home on the farm Hartebeestefontein near Potchefstroom. She died from exposure, and was holding a box of matches and an oil lamp.
The South African Railways called in the Army on the 3rd July to help restore the railway link between Johannesburg and Durban.

30-31 August 1959
Heavy snow fell over East Griqualand and the Natal interior. Snow fell over parts of the Drakensberg, in Himeville, Creighton, Ixopo, Impendle, Nottingham Road, Estcourt, Greytown, Volksrust and Umtata. For the first time in 30 years, it snowed in the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg. There was light snow on Swartkop and in Hilton, Winterskloof and Sweetwaters. The Boland and southern Cape mountains were covered in snow.

12-13 September 1959
Heavy snow fell on the 12th on the Boland mountains, and later over the areas to the east. In the Eastern Cape cars had to be towed out by tractors, whilst in Volksrust cars were stuck in 60 cm deep snow. On the 13th Bethal experienced its heaviest snowfall, whilst it snowed that afternoon in Johannesburg, Boksburg and the West Rand. That evening snow fell at Voortrekkerhoogte.

26-28 August 1962
After heavy snowfalls on 05-06 May and again on 13-14 June, the Cape was hit hard on Sunday, 26 August. At Matroosberg, heavy snowfall was accompanied by heavy rain and gale-force winds. The heavy snowfalls spread eastwards over most of the country on the 27th and covered the Karoo, Natal, the Free State and the south-eastern Transvaal. The Free state goldfields had their first snow ever.
In Estcourt the snow lay a foot deep. Four people were injured when their cars collided: Mr & Mrs D Folwell of Johannesburg, and Mr & Mrs S Minnaar of Vrede.
Johannesburg saw its heaviest snowfall since 1936. The snow disrupted air, road, rail and telephone communications. There were snowball fights and snowmen building across the city, especially at the University of the Witwatersrand. By 3pm, the snow was three inches deep.
Johannesburg awoke to several inches of snow on the 28th. The Star newspaper reported that this was the heaviest snow since the blizzard of 1936.
The Magaliesberg mountains also received snow. Natal saw its heaviest snowfalls in 20 years. At Donnybrook there was seven inches of snow. Old video: https://cutt.ly/prnKEVX4

02 July 1963
Heavy rain fell in the Namib region, with snow on the 1st at Aus and on the sand dunes between Aus and Luderitz. Snowfalls up to 60cm deep were experienced in the eastern interior of South Africa, with the heaviest falls at Standerton, Bethal, Ermelo, Volksrust and Majuba. Snow also fell at Louis Trichardt, Johannesburg and Lyttleton on the 3rd. Wakkerstroom was cut off from the outside world for several days.

18-19 June 1964
The Free State, Eastern Cape, Natal and southern Transvaal saw heavy snowfalls. Several places were isolated, with Bloemfontein hardest hit with snow lying 60cm deep. The snowfall in Pretoria on the 18th was the heaviest in 30 years.
After heavy snowfalls in Johannesburg on the 18th, light snow fell the next day. Every morning, winter and summer, Mrs Grace Stuttridge goes for a swim at the Rhodes Park swimming pool – this snow did not keep her away. There were power blackouts for up to 30 minutes on the 19th when an overload caused the Riviera substation to trip. The Killarney, Saxonwold and Parkwood areas were affected.
In the north-eastern Cape there was snow up to the 25th and helicopters were used to bring relief to people and animals isolated for several days. Further snowfalls were experienced during the rest of the winter and as late as the beginning of October.
In Johannesburg and Bloemfontein, airline passengers were left stranded by the diversion or cancellation of flights. Most international flights to Johannesburg were diverted to Salisbury in Southern Rhodesia.
Forty-five men were trapped, without food, by heavy snow about 40 miles from Prince Albert in the Swartberg. The men, employed by the Forestry Department, were encamped about 4,000 ft above sea level and had run out of their three days food supplies. They were making fire-breaks. The local forester, Mr V D Harst, couldn’t get his supplies lorry through the three feet of snow.
Petrus Steyn village was snowbound for several days. The residents were without power and water, as more than 2 feet of snow fell, the heaviest snowfall in its history. The roofs of the two co-operative grain sheds had collapsed under the weight of snow. Cattle and horses lay frozen to death in the snow at the side of the Heilbron-Petrus Steyn road.
Old video: https://cutt.ly/brnKRhZS

05–06 July 1964
Snow fell in the foothills of the Drakensberg, in Hilton, Boston, Elandskop, Impendle, Dargle, Howick, near Byrne, Greytown, and Kokstad. There was snow on the upper slopes and top of Swartkop, in Winterskloof and near the Hilton Hotel. Snow was reported in Sweetwaters and the Natal Midlands up to Mooi River. Light snowfalls were reported on mountain ranges in the Western Cape.

July 1964
Snow fell in Johannesburg.

31 May 1965
Heavy snow fell in the Eastern Cape and Natal. Several farms were isolated. At Dordrecht cars were stuck in snow, and school was closed the next day. The south-eastern Highveld also saw some snow.

16-18 July 1965
Snow and sleet fell in the Transvaal, Free State and Natal on 18th July, with the heaviest snowfall in the central and eastern Free State.
In Durban, two SAA flights were delayed and grounded.
Heavy snow again fell in the Eastern Cape and Natal, with several towns being isolated. Middelburg, Cradock, Dordrecht, Barkly East and Maclear saw heavy snowfalls. There were heavy stock losses.
Johannesburg city centre and Hillbrow had sleet and light snow. Light snow also fell in Roodepoort, Potchefstroom and Rustenburg.

18-19 October 1965
Heavy snowfalls were reported in northern Natal, Easy Griqualand and the Eastern Cape. There were large-scale disruptions and heavy stock losses in the eastern interior. The Natal-Transvaal border areas had snow more than a metre deep. The Reef also had some snow.

03-05 September 1966
Snow fell in all four provinces over the weekend. Snow covered Kokstad, Underberg, Fauresmith, Wepener, and areas of the south-western Transvaal on the 4th. Snow fell in the Brandwacht mountains around Worcester, in the Hex River Valley, on the Swartberg near Oudtshoorn and in Ceres. In the easten Cape, snow fell in the Katberg and Winterberg, where holidaymakers played in the snow. About 6 inches of snow fell over the Katberg Pass. It also snowed near Middelburg.

12-14 July 1967
Heavy snow started falling on the evening of the 12th, mostly in the Eastern Cape. Train services were disrupted, mountain passes were impassable and farmers were isolated on their farms. Snow lay up to two metres deep on the mountains. The snow weather advanced eastwards to Natal and also the eastern Transvaal. Johannesburg had light snowfalls on the 14th, which lasted less than an hour. South-eastern Transvaal roads were closed. Snow fell in Pietersburg from 6 p.m. for an hour but soon melted away.
By the evening of the 13th, three people had died from exposure, in Umtata, Loxton and De Aar.
Mr E D Dreyer, a Barkly East post office employee, decided to drive his pregnant wife to hospital in Queenstown on the night of the 12th. While on their way, Queenstown was hit with the heaviest snowfall since 1931. Just outside Dordrecht, their car slid into a 20 ft snowdrift and got stuck. The couple was stranded there until the next morning when a bulldozer forced a way out. Mrs Dreyer was taken to the hospital in Dordrecht, where she gave birth to a baby girl.
There was heavy snowfall in Barkly East. Snow also fell in East London. The national road from Pietermaritzburg to the Cape was closed after the heaviest-ever snowfall in the Brookes Nek area near Kokstad.
Rail passengers arriving in Port Elizabeth from Durban and the Rand were delayed by five hours. Mario Brazzali (16) was one of four schoolboys doing vacation work as train stewards. When the train stopped at Tweedale for 15 minutes, the boys had a snowball fight. It was the first snow Mario had seen.
In the Drakensberg, Air Force helicopters lifted 21 policemen to safety and dropped fodder for 23 horses that were left behind. The policemen were on stock-theft patrol near Matatiele.
Stoffel Kriger and Rine Jordaan were stuck on the farm Leeuwfontein in the Dordrecht district for a few days. They were waiting to get married and could only get into town on the 14th July.

03 June 1968
Snow fell over many parts of the country during the preceding weekend. On that Monday morning heavy snow fell on the Wolkenberg near Tzaneen, the first time since September 1936.

11-12 June 1968
Snow fell at many places. At Jansenville it was the first snowfall since 1886. Several mountain passes were closed and trains delayed. The Witwatersrand and some parts of Pretoria had snow on the 12th.

July 1968
Snow was reported in Johannesburg.

10-11 August 1968
Heavy snow fell over parts of the country. The Drakensberg mountains were covered in snow. At Matatiele the snow started thawing by the 12th.
Natal farmers welcomed the snow and accompanying light rain, which helped to break the drought in the Midlands.
British-born Jan Mullany (20) spent the day at Nottingham Road enjoying the snow. The last time she saw snow was in 1957, the year she emigrated from Britain.

18 July 1969
The south-western Cape had the coldest night of the year, with snow and frost. By Saturday morning, there was light snow on Table Mountain. The peaks of the Outeniqu and Langeberg mountains were snow-capped. The Border and Transkei areas also had some snowfall, as did the Van Reenen district. Snow was more than a foot deep in the Drakensberg.

01 September 1969
The western Cape shivered through one of its coldest mornings after overnight snowfalls. Many of the inland mountains were covered in snow. The Tulbagh district had the heaviest snowfall. Heavy snow also fell in Wellington. The mountain peaks in the Bain’s Kloof were snow-capped. Porterville, Ceres, Stellenbosch, Somerset West, Franschhoek, Wolseley, Paarl, Du Toit’s Kloof, and Cape Town also reported snow. The top of Table Mountain was covered in a half-inch of snow.

08 May 1970
Light snow fell at Delmas, Ermelo, Bloemfontein, Welkom and Reitz but quickly turned to sludge by the rain and sunshine. Snow was on the Drakensberg and western Cape mountains. Heavy snow fell on the Graff-Reinet mountains. The Bonthoek mountains were also covered in snow. Anthracite stocks were low on the Witwatersrand as they weren’t enough coal trucks to meet demand.

26-27 August 1970
The Eastern Cape saw heavy snowfalls, with Queenstown by hardest hit.

06-07 December 1970
Another summer snowfall. Heavy snow fell on Sunday the 6th on the Cape mountains. Several mountain passes were closed such as the Swartberg Pass, Loostberg Pass and the road across Wapadsberg. The eastern Free State and Natal saw unprecedented heavy snowfalls.

30 April 1972
It snowed in Bloemfontein for a few hours. Other parts of the Free State, the Drakensberg and the northern Cape also had snowfalls. In Maclear it snowed heavily on the surrounding mountains. Light snow fell at Volksrust.

11 August 1972
The southern Cape saw record snowfalls. It snowed in George for the first time in many years that Friday afternoon, with streets and gardens covered by 7cm of snow. The Knysna forests had heavy snowfalls, as did the Langkloof where snow lay 45cm deep. Table Mountain was covered in 50cm deep snow. Widespread snowfalls had occurred earlier that winter. On 30 April it snowed in all four provinces and on 25 June snow fell near Knysna. Heavy snow fell on 30-31 July over many areas, including Zululand where it had not snowed for 50 years.

08 August 1973
Four students from the University of the Witswatersrand ski club were stranded in a minibus in the Maluti mountains in thick snow. The South African Air Force had to abandon the previous day’s search due to heavy mist. Michael Simpson (19), Ricky Martin (19), Richard Massey (19) and Miss Carey Standish-White are all from Johannesburg. On the Sunday, they were warned to leave the mountain but they refused. At least 69 South Africans were stranded in the heavy snow in the mountains. Two SAAF Super Frelon helicopters were used in the rescue mission, but couldn’t complete the mission due to the driving snow and icy mist.
Heavy snow fell over the Drakensberg and East Griqualand. A group of 15 Seventh Day Adventists were camping and hiking in the Drakensberg when they were trapped by the heavy snowfall.

10–11 August 1973
Snow fell in Winterskloof, the Drakensberg resorts, Underberg, Highflats, Boston, Impendle, Kokstad, Cedarville, Matatiele, Hilton, Cedara, Howick, Tweedie, Dargle, Lidgetton, and Byrne.

19 August 1973
Widespread heavy snowfalls at Graaff-Reinet, Middelburg and Queenstown. For the first time in this century, it snowed at Bedford, Adelaide and Seymour.

16-17 May 1974
More snow fell on the Drakensberg. Kokstad had light snowfall. Snow blanketed many parts of the Border area. The heaviest snowfall was in Barkly East where 300mm of snow was measured, disrupting bus services and raising fears of heavy stock losses. Snow also fell at Hogsback, Dordrecht, Lady Grey, Indwe and Jamestown.
The cold weather disrupted Eskom power supplies in various places in the Transvaal. Large areas of north-east and north-west of Johannesburg were without electricity for two hours on the 17th. Snow fell for about two hours in parts of the eastern Transvaal. In Ermelo, the snow lay 9cm deep on some farms, and in town it was 5cm deep. Standerton had 1cm of snow. A 10-man mounted police patrol was marooned by heavy snow in the mountains near Ongeluksnek in the southern Drakensberg. The 80cm of snow prevented a rescue by police vans and Land Rovers. In the Matatiele district the snow was 30cm deep.

08 July 1975
There were widespread snowfalls on mountains in the Boland. A number of mountain passes were closed due to heavy snow.
Snow was reported in East London and surrounding areas. The mountains of the western Transkei were covered in now. The Drakensberg peaks were snow-capped.

20 June 1976
Following snowfalls on Table Mountain and Boland mountains, heavy snow fell that Sunday over large parts of the Eastern Cape. For the first time in living memory, it snowed early that morning in Grahamstown, where the snow lay 17,5cm deep.

10-11 August 1976
The Koue Bokkeveld saw some of its heaviest snowfalls for many years.
Snow also fell overnight in Bloemfontein on the 11th but only lasted a few minutes.
Light snow fell on Table Mountain. The mountains around Worcester, Ceres, Paarl and Villiersdorp were covered in thick snow. Two of the three mountain passes leading to Ceres were closed.
In the Koo, a fruit-farming valley 10km north of Montagu, snow was lying 15-30cm deep. Hendrik de Kock, of the farm Sandvlei in the Koo, said it was the heaviest snowfall he had seen in the area in 15 years.
At Sutherland, the only things visible above the snow-covered ground were patches of Namaqualand daisies. Ten centimetres of snow fell overnight.

23 August 1977
The eastern Highveld received heavy snowfalls that Tuesday evening, as far north as Sabie. The Long Tom Pass was closed.

07-08 July 1981
The Cape experienced heavy snowfalls. Porterville and Ladismith were hit. At Pearston the snow lay 15cm deep.

28-29 August 1981
Heavy snowfalls fell over large parts of the Cape. De Aar saw its heaviest snowfall on Saturday the 29th. Aberdeen and Beaufort West received their heaviest snowfalls in 50 years. At Van Wyksvlei snow lay 30cm deep. Pofadder, Upington, Kenhardt, Keimoes and Kanoneiland also received snow. Several mountain passes in the Eastern Cape were closed.

10 September 1981
Large parts of the interior received heavy snowfalls on that Thursday, including the Long Tom Pass, Amersfoort, Bethal, Witbank, Standerton, Ermelo, Springs, Delmas and Vanderbijlpark. In Johannesburg, where it snowed all day, it lay 15-20cm deep. Most schools had longer break times to let staff and pupils enjoy the snow. During the early stages of the storm there were numerous motor car accidents in Johannesburg. Pretoria also had some snow in the morning. Trains were delayed, hospitals had to use emergency power, and 40 domestic and international flights to and from Jan Smuts Airport were diverted or delayed. SAA staff worked through the night of the 10th to accommodate thousands of stranded passengers. Johannesburg last saw snow on 18 June 1964, and in 1962 it snowed for four full days.
Hundreds of telephone poles between Harrismith and Warden bent under the weight of snow. Heavy electricity demand caused widespread blackouts throughout the country. At Durban’s airport more than 2,000 passengers were stranded.
At Van Reenen’s Pass twenty heavy trucks were trapped overnight as snow ploughs failed to free them. Three card were overturned on the Springs-Kinross road.
Mrs Martie Greyling, of Bertrams, died on the corner of Rissik and Pritichard Streets shortly after being hit in the head with a snowball.
In Isipingo, five passengers in a packed combi where killed when their vehicle skidded in front of a bus.

01-02 July 1982
The Eastern Cape and parts of the Free State had heavy snowfalls. Several mountain passes were closed. Light snow fell at Johannesburg on the morning of Friday the 2nd.

13–14 June 1983
Snow was reported on Swartkop. Light snowfalls were reported in the Drakensberg near Matatiele as well as near Champagne Castle and Cathkin Peak.

05 July 1983
Snow covered parts of the south-western Cape and the Karoo. Fraserburg experienced an hour of heavy snowfall. Snow also fell on the Hantam mountains in Calvinia. In Heidelberg, the Langeberg mountains were covered in snow to a point lower than the townsfolk were able to recall. Sutherland, Beaufort West and Boland towns close to the mountain ranges also received snow.

25 July 1983
Light snow fell over the East Rand, as well as the Drakensberg and Witteberg mountains. Parts of the Karoo nad Free State also had snowfalls. By evening the snow was already 15cm deep at Clarens. Petrus Steyn and Ficksburg also had snowfalls. Light snow fell on the Loots and Renoster mountains. Sleet fell in the north-western suburbs of Johannesburg during the night. Five aircraft were diverted to Bloemfontein and Durban because of bad weather and low visibility, and another two could not take off from Jan Smuts Airport.

12-14 June 1984
The Eastern Cape had heavy snowfalls on the 13th, with several mountain passes closed. Natal experienced snow, sleet and driving rain. The Natal Midlands were covered in a thick layer of snow. Richmond saw its first snowfall since 1922. Heavier snowfalls were reported on the Drakensberg. Snow also fell in Newcastle and the surrounding district, Vryheid, Kokstad and Matatiele. On the 14th it snowed at Memel, Vrede, Bethlehem and Kestell. Parts of the eastern Transvaal also had snow – in Standerton, Piet Retief, Volksrust, Wakkerstroom and Ermelo. In Ermelo 15cm of snow fell, the heaviest snowfall since 1967.
Four Natal children, all of the Madlala family, died in an Estcourt snowstorm on the 13th while walking home from school

11-12 July 1985
The southern and eastern Cape was hit with heavy snowfalls. In Sutherland the streets were covered in a 5cm deep layer. The snowy weather spread on the Friday to Natal, the Free State and the Highveld. Snow fell at Volksrust, Standerton, Bethal and Wakkerstroom. Mountain passes on the main routes between Natal and the Transvaal were closed.

17-18 June 1987
The Eastern Cape received heavy snowfalls. Several mountain passes were closed. In the Cradock district snow lay 30cm deep. On the 25th snow fell in the eastern Free State and Drakensberg mountains.

19-20 July 1987
Heavy snow fell in the Boland on the 19th. At Sarelskop near Tulbagh it had not snowed for many years. Table Mountain was lightly covered in snow. On the 20th it snowed in the Karoo, Eastern Cape, the eastern Free State, Natal and the south-eastern Transvaal. The Oliviershoek and Naudeshoek Passes were closed. Snow also fell at Long Toms Pass. Harrismith saw its heaviest snowfall in many years. Zastron had last seen such heavy snowfall in 1954. Light snow fell in the evening of the 21st in the Johannesburg vicinity.

25-26 August 1987
After heavy snowfalls in the Natal interior and on the Maluti and Drakensberg mountains on the 15th and 16th August, heavy snow fell again in the eastern Free State and the Natal interior. The roads leading to Memel were closed and farmers had to shovel snow off their roofs to prevent damage. About 32cm was measured at Van Reenen. Matatiele and Cedarville also received heavy snowfalls. In Fochville it snowed for the first time since 1967.

26-28 September 1987
After snow fell on the night of Saturday the 26th in the north-eastern Cape, Sterkstroom, Dordrecht, Elliot, Molteno, Barkly East and Ugie were cut off from the outside world for several days. Dordrecht had snow lying up to a metre deep by Monday and suffered large stock losses. A passenger train was trapped in the Eastern Cape; several mountain passes were closed and towns isolated. Hikers were trapped in the Drakensberg and were rescued days later by helicopter. In Lesotho, helicopters had to ferry fresh water to isolated villages.

28 May 1988
The north-eastern Cape received heavy snowfalls. At Dordrecht, where it snowed all day, the noon temperature was still 0°C. At Elliot the snow lay 10cm deep.

08 June 1988
The southern and eastern Cape mountains had heavy snowfalls. In the Swartberg Pass snow lay 1,5 metres deep.

12 June 1988
It snowed on the Naudesberg east of Graaff-Reinet, and the mountains of Cradock as well as the Kouga mountains in the Langkloof.

27-28 June 1988
It snowed at Bloemspruit and on the smallholdings east of Bloemfontein, in the eastern Free State and the south-eastern Transvaal. The border posts to Lesotho were closed.

09-10 July 1988
Heavy snow fell on Saturday the 9th, on the Boland mountains, the Swartberg and the Outeniqua mountains. It also snowed on the Hantamberg at Calvinia, the Kamiesberge at Leliesfontein and the mountain peaks near Springbok. Heavy snow fell that evening at Somerset East, Pearston, Cradock and Dordrecht. From early on the Sunday morning heavy snow started falling over Natal, from Kokstad to Newcastle. At Bulwer it lay so deep that windows were covered in snow. Underberg and Himeville were isolated. At Nottingham Road the snow lay 30cm deep. Ladysmith received its heaviest snowfall since 1922. The N3 and all mountain passes in the Drakensberg were closed. It snowed all day at Wakkerstroom. Volksrust had a layer 15 cm deep. More than 500,000 people in the mountainous areas of Lesotho were cut off and the South African government assisted with air transport of emergency supplies. Numerous mountain climbers were rescued by the South African Air Force.

16-18 July 1989
A cold front, accompanied by heavy snow in places, moved across the sub-continent. Snow fell as far north as the Karonnaberg mountains, north of the Olifantshoek in the northern Cape. Snow also fell over Namaqualand, Bushmanland up to Prieska, Kimberley and Bloemfontein. Many mountain passes were impassable and many schools were closed.

04-05 September 1989
The Koue Bokkeveld saw its heaviest snowfalls in 20 years. The Du Toitskloof Pass and Mitchell’s Pass were closed.

August 1990
Heavy snowfalls occurred over the month in the eastern and north-eastern Cape, Natal, the Drakensberg, and the south-eastern and eastern Transvaal. The Lootsberg and Wapadsberg Passes were closed. On the 29th heavy snow fell in the Underberg, Himeville, Matatiele, Jamestown, Dordrecht, Indwe and Elliot.

15-18 October 1990
Snow fell on the mountains at Uniondale, Middelburg and Graaff-Reinet on the 15th. On the 18th it snowed at Graaff-Reinet, Middelburg, Cradock and Dordrecht, spreading to parts of Natal and the eastern Free State. Van Reenens Pass was closed to heavy vehicles. Peach and apricot crops in low-lying orchards in the eastern Free State were damaged by the cold.

28–29 June 1994
The Drakensberg was covered in snow. Snowflakes were reported at Mount Michael. Snow was reported in Elandskop and in the Midlands. Heavy snowfalls hit Bulwer, Boston and Merrivale. Snow also fell in many parts of the Cape, Transvaal, in central Johannesburg and on Table Mountain.

06–07 July 1996
Widespread snowfalls were reported in KwaZulu-Natal, including the Drakensberg and the Midlands, at elevated terrain in Mpumalanga, in the Free State, the Western and Eastern Cape. The roofs of buildings in Underberg collapsed under the weight of snow. Motorists were trapped by deep snow at Van Reenen’s Pass. All road links to the Free State and Johannesburg were severed. Other roads in KwaZulu-Natal were closed. The heaviest snowfalls in years were reported in some areas of North-West Province.

29–30 June 1997
Snow fell in parts of the Drakensberg and in the Midlands, as well as in Underberg, Boston, Kamberg and Kokstad.

19-20 July 2002
Snow fell in the KZN Drakensberg and the Eastern Cape. The KZN Midlands also reported snow. Heavy snowfalls were reported in Bulwer. Dundee and Kokstad also saw snow.

10-11 September 2002
Snow fell on Swartkop. Heavy snowfalls were reported in the Eastern Cape, with light falls in the KZN Drakensberg, Swartberg and Matatiele.

07-08 June 2004
The first snow of the season fell on the peaks surrounding Barkly East in the Eastern Cape.

27 July 2004
The Lydenburg mountains were snow-covered. Cars were stuck in the snow at Underberg.

06-07 September 2004
Heavy snow fell in many high-lying areas in KwaZulu-Natal. Heavy snowfalls were reported in Underberg, Harrismith, Kokstad, Matatiele and in East Griqualand. The Midlands was covered in light snow. Snow fell in Winterskloof, Hilton, the hills overlooking Midmar Dam, Caversham, Otto’s Bluff, Thornville, and the Drakensberg.

June 2006
Snow fell over Johannesburg for the first time in 25 years. Bloemfontein got its first snow in 12 years, receiving 13 centimetres.

02 August 2006
Caledonspoort was closed due to heavy snow fall.
A few snowflakes fell in Gauteng but nothing substantial enough to be termed a proper snowfall. Sandton, Rosebank, Bryanston, Hyde Park, Westonaria, Carletonville, and Soweto all saw small snowflakes.
There were also reports of snow in Bloemfontein, at the airport and in the city. Light snowfall was reported over the central, southern and eastern parts of the Free State.

15 August 2006
Three people were found dead after they were trapped in snow in Mount Fletcher in the Eastern Cape. Roads in parts of Mount Fletcher and between Matatiele and Quaggasnek were closed. Matatiele was one of the areas most affected by the snow. Rural areas in Matatiele were not accessible. Snow fell overnight in Barkly East and Elliot.
Snow also fell on the N9 between Middelburg and Graaff-Reinet and the R61 between Cradock and Graaff-Reinet. Kokstad also saw snow.

26-27 June 2007
Snow fell in Johannesburg as temperatures dropped below freezing, with residents waking up to a layer of snow turning lawns, rooftops and cars white. The freezing temperatures claimed at least one life in Noord Street, Johannesburg. Snow was reported on the East Rand and in Roodepoort. The cold snap also caused more power failures, with Bedfordview residents experiencing their third power failure in a matter of days.
Flights departing from OR Tambo International Airport were delayed for up to three hours due to layers of ice covering the aircraft. Airport emergency services had to use fire trucks to hose down grounded aircraft covered with layers of ice and snow.
Pretoria was the northern-most point of the snowfall. Light snowfall was recorded in Waverley, Pretoria. The last time there were widespread snowfalls in Pretoria was on 11 June 1968.
KwaZulu-Natal also saw some snow. Several roads were closed including the R103 from Nottingham Road to Mooi River in the Midlands, the R617 from Underberg to Kokstad, the N2 from Port Shepstone to Kokstad, and the R56 from Umzimkulu to Kokstad. Kokstad was a no-go area as all major roads leading in and out of the town were closed.
Roads in and around Hogsback were impassable where there was up to 20cm of snow. Penhoek, Lootsberg, Boesmanshoek Pass between Molteno and Sterkstroom, Kraai River, Barkly, Wapads Berg and Nico Malan passes were closed.
A number of Eastern Cape roads were closed, including the N9 between Graaff-Reinet and Middelburg, the R61 between Cradock and Graaff-Reinet and the N6 between Jamestown and Queenstown. The Nico Malan Pass on the R67 between Seymour and Fort Beaufort, and the R58 between Lady Grey and Elliot were also closed.

19-21 September 2008
Heavy snowfalls occurred in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. Snow was reported at Underberg, Bulwer, Ixopo, Boston, Elandskop, Dargle, Mooi River, Hidcote, and Nottingham Road.
Roads were closed in the Kwazulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. There was no access to the Kokstad area.
It had snowed lightly on Table Mountain early on Friday morning.

14-15 June 2010
Table Mountain was covered in snow, and snowflakes fell sporadically throughout the morning. It was the biggest snowfall on top of the mountain in several years. The Outeniqua Mountains were also covered in snow. The mountains above Ceres in the Boland were covered in a thick layer of snow, with more expected overnight as a cold front moved across the country.

June-August 2011
The central Drakensberg received quite a dump of snow. Cathedral Peak received its first snow in the camp since the 1990s. In the Free State, the major route between Villiers and Van Reenen’s Pass was closed. Light snow fell over Johannesburg.

25-26 July 2011
Heavy snowfalls were reported in several high-lying areas of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as in the Eastern Cape, the Free State and Mpumalanga. Heavy snowfalls were reported in Underberg, Kokstad, Matatiele and parts of the Eastern Cape.
Countrywide snowfall left travellers stranded and children elated. The N3 highway between Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal was not accessible for over 200km between Van Reenen’s Pass and Villiers. The northern KwaZulu-Natal town of Newcastle was also covered in snow with roads running into the town closed.
Harrismith, a halfway stop between Johannesburg and Durban, was crowded as truck drivers and motorists were brought to a halt. Petrol stations and stores were running on generators as the town was also hit by an electricity cut.

15 August 2011
The N3 highway at Van Reenen’s Pass between the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal was closed due to heavy snowfalls. Icy rain began falling in the early hours of the morning and later turned to snow.

14 July 2012
Heavy snowfalls blanketed the Karoo. The N1 was closed on 14 and 15 July from Beaufort West to Richmond, as well as the road from Three Sisters to Victoria West. About 500 vehicles were freed from heavy snow in Beaufort West, where a metre and a half of snow had fallen.

06-08 August 2012
Heavy snow fell in across the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, the Drakensberg and the Eastern Cape. The N3 and other roads were closed, along with the main railway line linking Durban and Johannesburg.

07 August 2012
Snow fell across Vereeniging, Pretoria and Johannesburg. A cold front emanating from the Western Cape travelled up the escarpment onto the Highveld. It snowed over all the provinces of South Africa. People and the media went crazy. Residents headed outdoors, taking photos of the spectacle on their digital cameras and mobile phones. Not much work was achieved around the country on this day, what with office staff running outside to catch snowflakes and take photos.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was attending business meeting in Pretoria, and enjoyed the rare snow flurries as she left the meetings.

August-September 2013
Late snow falls in August and September in the Western Cape and the KZN Drakensberg. Cape Town experienced hail that left the city bowl looking like a winter wonderland. There was snow on Table Mountain.

April 2014
The first snow falls of the season fell on the Matroosberg. The Western and Northern Cape, and Mooi River in KwaZulu-Natal also saw snow.

05 April 2015
The first snow fall was recorded at Tiffindell Ski Resort. Sneeuberg in the Eastern Cape as well as parts of Graaff-Reinet experienced some snow.

June 2015
Snow was seen in Lady Grey, Kokstad, Matatiele, Rhodes, Southern and central Drakensberg, Ficksburg, Worcester, Sutherland and Swartberg.

July 2015
The Eastern Cape saw snow at Elliot, Maclear, Lootsberg Pass, Lady Grey, Winterhoek, Barkly East, Dordrecht, Penhoek Pass, Naude’s Nek, Ugie, Stormberg, Compassberg, Rhodes. Zastron in the Free State also had snow. Matatiele, Southern Drakensberg, Castleburn, Mooi River mountains, St Bernard’s Peak, and the Bulwer mountains enjoyed the light snow fall. The Hottentots Holland Mountains, Ceres mountains, Matroosberg, and the Hexrivier Valley also had snow fall.

August 2015
Snow was reported in Matroosberg. Worcester Mountains Eastern Cape: Lootsberg Pass, Graaff-Reinet, and Rhodes.

September 2015
Snow fell in the Southern and central Drakensberg, and Naude’s Nek.

November 2015
Rhodes and Tiffindell Ski Resort saw some snow, as did De Doorns and Matroosberg.

27 March 2016
Snow was reported in Matroosberg.

30 April 2016
Snow fell over the Eastern Cape mountains and along the Drakensberg. Flurries were reported in the KZN midlands, Barkly East, Ugie, Lady Grey, Rhodes, Maclear, Matatiele, Kokstad, Underberg, Kokstad, Impendle, and Himeville.

07 May 2016
Tiffindell Ski Resort received light flurries, as did regions of the Drakensberg.

10 May 2016
The central Drakensberg peaks and Phuthaditjhaba reported snow fall.

14 May 2016
Light snow fell over the Southern Drakensberg.

25 May 2016
Snow was reported at Tiffindell Ski Resor and some parts of the Southern Drakensberg.

11 June 2016
Elliot, Sneeuberg mountain, Ugie, Nieu Bethesda, Gaika’s Kop, Rhodes, outside Oudtshoorn, Hogsback, and Bushman’s Nek received some snow.

13 June 2016
Phuthaditjhaba, Clarens, Golden Gate Highlands Park, Moolmanshoek, Memel, Rhodes, Winterberg Mountains, Cathedral Peak, and the northern Drakensberg peaks all reported snow.

20 June 2016
The Breedekloof Valley, Sneeuberg, Swartberg, Oudtshoorn, Ceres mountains, and Matroosberg.

01 July 2016
Brandwacht mountains, Matroosberg, Worcester mountains, Witzenberg, and Sutherland.

02 July 2016
Barkly Pass, Rhodes, Barkly East, Naudes Nek, Sutherland, Swartberg, Stellenbosch, Outeniqua mountains, Villiersdorp, Hottentot Hollands Mountains, Wapadsberg, Perdekop Trail Franschhoek, St Bernard’s Peak, Dargle, Impendle, Nottingham, and Underberg.

06 July 2016
Matroosberg, De Doorns, Cederberg, Hex River Valley, the Karoo mountains, Sutherland, and Graaff-Reinet.

16 July 2016
Matroosberg reported snow fall.

23 July 2016
Matroosberg, Worcester mountains, Elandsberg, Swartberg, Sneeuberg, Lootsberg Pass, Matatiele, St Bernard’s Peak, Nottingham Road, Curry’s Post, Bulwer mountains, Kokstad, Impendle, and Dargle.

24 July 2016
Balgowan, Bushman’s Nek, Rosetta, Nottingham Road, Lower Loteni, Champagne Castle, Dargle, Kamberg, Royal National Park, Swartberg, Ugie, Cedarville, and Reitz.

25 July 2016
Bulwer, Impendle, Mooi River, Northern Drakensberg, Monks Cowl, Himeville, Kokstad, Lower Loteni, Donnybrook, Swartberg, Bushman’s Nek, Sneeuberg, Elliot, Stormberg, Ugie, Barkly East, Rhodes, Qunu, Steynsburg, Queenstown, Karoo, Golden Gate Highlands National Park, and Phuthaditjhaba.

26 July 2016
Snow fell in the Swartberg.

27 July 2016
Sutherland, Loxton, Noupoort, Colesberg, Bethlehem, Fouriesburg, Ficksburg, Dordrecht, Barkly East, Naude’s Nek, Rhodes, Lady Grey, Bannermans Pass, central and Northern Drakensberg Mountains.

01 August 2016
Phuthaditjhaba, Fouriesburg, Verkykerskop, between Memel and Harrismith, Clarens, and Golden Gate Highlands National Park.

03 August 2016
Swartberg, Lady Grey, Rhodes, Naude’s Nek, Sneeuberg, and Barkly East.

20 August 2016
Drakensberg Gardens, Sutherland, Matroosberg. Swartberg Mountains, Ceres mountains, Worcester mountains, Sneeuberg, and Hogsback.

17 September 2016
Hex Rivier mountains, Matroosberg, and Graaff-Reinet.

18 September 2016
Van Reenen’s Pass, Swartberg, Bulwer, Normandien Pass, Bushman’s Nek, Volksrust, and Montrose Pass.

27 September 2016
Brandwacht mountains.

02 October 2016
Underberg, St Bernard’s Peak, Giant’s Castle, Dooley Knoll, and Matatiele.

03 October 2016
Snow was reported in Rhodes.

04 October 2016
Phuthaditjhaba, Drakensberg Gardens, Cathedral Peak, Bushman’s Nek, and Champagne Valley.

09 October 2016
Snow fell in Tradouws Pass.

14 April 2017
Light snow was reported on the high ground around Tarkastad.

12 May 2017
Snow was reported at Giant’s Castle and Rhodes.

13 May 2017
Barkly Pass, Cathkin Peak, Langalibalele Pass, and Giant’s Castle.

14 May 2017
Snow fell in the KZN Drakensberg.

07 June 2017
The Northern and Western Cape received a small amount of snow.

08 June 2017
Snow fell over many parts of Western Cape and isolated areas of the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape. Langeberg Mountains, Matroosberg, Ceres, Ashton, Robertson, Hexrivier, De Doorns, Ladismith, Lady Grey, Du Toit’s Peak, Tulbagh, Villiersdorp, Table Mountain, Franschhoek, Riviersonderend Mountains, Hexpas Touwsrivier, Somerset West, Hottentot Hollands Mountains, Witzenberg mountains, Cederberg, Winterhoek, Bainskloof, Roggeveld, Sutherland, Calvinia, and Tarkastad.

23 June 2017
Dusting of snow over parts of Wildebeesthoek, Elliot, and Ugie.

01 July 2017
Snow reported over the Drakensberg, Cathedral Peak, and Namahadi Pass.

09 July 2017
A dusting of snow fell over Somerset West, Sneeukop, Hexrivier, Sir Lowry’s Pass, Bloukop Mountains, Langeberg, Swellendam, Franschhoek, and Robertson.

14 July 2017
Light snow flurries were recorded at Tiffindell Ski Resort near Rhodes.

16 July 2017
Matroosberg, Drie Kuilen Nature Reserve, Somerset West, Swartberg Pass, Suurbraak Mountains, Drakenstein Mountains, Simonsberg, Langeberg, Riviersonderend, Calitzdorp, Jonkershoek, Winterhoek, Laingsburg, Worcester, Montagu, Kammanassie Mountains, Swellendam, Ladismith, Beaufort West, De Doorns, Klein Swartberg, Table Mountain, Du Toit’s Kloof, Karoo National Park, Witzenberg, Hogsback, Lootsberg, Naude’s Berg Pass, Elliot, Cradock, Sutherland, and Nieu Bethesda.

16 August 2017
Worcester, Tulbagh, Matroosberg, Lootsberg Pass, Sutherland, Dordrecht, Wapadberg Pass, Molteno, and Underberg.

17 August 2017
Barkly Pass, Elliot, Queenstown, Lady Grey, Barkly Pass, Rhodes, Nieu Bethesda, Graaf Reinet, Hogsback, Wapaberg Pass, Katberg, Nico Malan Pass, Rhodes, Lootsberg Pass, Ugie, Maclear, Impendle, Fort Nottingham, Kokstad, Kamberg, Nottingham Road, Mooi River, Bushman’s Nek, Drakensberg Gardens, Bulwer, Cathkin Peak, Lower Loteni, Swartberg, Zastron, Bethlehem, Outeniqua Pass, and Clarens.

18 August 2017
Snow was reported in Elliot, Sneeuberg, and Barkly Pass.

22 August 2017
Snow fell in Sutherland.

23 August 2017
Snow fell in the Swartberg and Matroosberg.

26 August 2017
Snow was reported in Mweni.

26 September 2017
Snow fell in the Cederberg, Swartberg, and Sneeuberg.

05 October 2017
Snow was reported in Worcester, Barkly Pass, Rhodes, Bastervoetslaanpad Pass, Drakensberg, Bushman’s Nek, and Drakensberg Gardens.

10 October 2017
Snow was reported in Naudes Nek, Barkly East, Rhodes, Drakensberg, Bushman’s Nek, Drakensberg Gardens, Cathedral Peak, Bergville, Matatiele, St Bernards Peak, Witsieshoek, Lake Naverone, Underberg, Castleburn, Monks Cowl, and Zastron.

16 October 2017
Snow fell in Worcester, Matroosberg, Stellenbosch, Nieu-Bethesda, and De Doorns.

26 October 2017
Snow was reported in Naudes Nek, Barkly East, Rhodes, Drakensberg, Bushman’s Nek, Drakensberg Gardens, Cathedral Peak, Bergville, Matatiele, St Bernards Peak, Witsieshoek, Lake Naverone, Underberg, Castleburn, Monks Cowl, and Zastron.

15 November 2017
Snow fell in the Matroosberg, Beaufort West, Karoo National Park, Barkly Pass, Wapadberg Pass, Lootsberg Pass, and Sneeuberg.

16 November 2017
Snow was reported in Barkly East, Bastervoetpad Pass, Clarens, Dordrecht, Elliot, Molteno, Rhodes, Hogsback, Elliot, Sneeuberg, Nieu Bethesda, Lake Naverone, Swartberg, Bushmans Nek, Nottingham Road, St Bernards Peak, Matatiele, Drakensberg Gardens, Garden Castle, Kamberg, Underberg, Lake Naverone, Cathkin Peak, Impendle, Mooi River, Cathedral Peak, and Fouriesburg.

22 November 2017
Snow fell in Worcester, Matroosberg, and De Doorns.

12-13 May 2018
Snow fell over Tiffindell Ski Resort near Rhodes, as well as the mountains above Maclear.

14-15 May 2018
The Southern Drakensberg mountains and Black Mountain pass received a covering of snow.

14-15 June 2018
Some snow was reported on top of Matroosberg in Ceres and the peaks of the Worcester mountains. Light snow was reported around Tiffindell Ski Resort, Matroosberg, and Worcester.

01-03 July 2018
Snow blanketed Sutherland and Matroosberg. Table Mountain saw a few flurries. Hogsback, Worcester, Franschhoek, Barkly Pass, and Nieu-Bethesda also reported some snow.

13-15 July 2018
Snow started on the high peaks of the Matroosberg at noon on 13 July. Snow was also reported at Tiffindell Ski Resort, and the KZN Drakensberg.

06-10 August 2018
Snow was reported in the Matroosberg, Touws River, de Doorns, Swartberge, Bo Swaarmoed Pass, Worcester, Sutherland, Sneeuberge, Rhodes, Barkly Pass, Tiffindell Ski Resort, Ugie, Hogsback, Naude’s Nek Pass, Underberg, Bushmen’s Nek, Drakensberg Gardens, and St Bernards Peak.

17-18 August 2018
Snow fell in Hex Rivier, Hottentots Holland, Villiersdorp, Matroosberg, Franschhoek, Worcester, Sutherland, Sneeuberg, Rhodes, Barkly Pass, Tiffindell Ski Resort, Ugie, Hogsback, Naude’s Nek Pass, Dargle, Bushmen’s Nek, Drakensberg Gardens, St Bernard’s Peak, Harrismith, and Golden Gate National Park.

25-26 August 2018
A good amount of snow fell at Hex Rivier, Koo Valley, Ceres, Matroosberg, Worcester, Cederberg, Wolseley, Gydo Pass, Koue Bokkeveld, Touws Rivier, Theronsberg pass, and Sutherland.

18 September 2018
Snow fall closed the N9 and roads near Uniondale. There was a lot of snow on the high peaks in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape. The KZN Midlands also had good snow but it melted quickly.
Giraffes, antelope, rhinoceroses and elephants were photographed in icy and snowy conditions in the Sneeuberg and Graaff-Reinet.

03-04 October 2018
The central Drakensberg, Carolina, Memel, Sabie, Barkly pass, Tiffindell Ski Resort, and Golden Gate National Park.

13-15 October 2018
Snow was reported in the Royal Natal National Park.

10 July 2023
Snow fell over Johannesburg and surrounds for first time in 11 years. While parts of South Africa regularly receive snow over the winter months of June to August, Johannesburg last had snow in August 2012. The snow was caused by a surge in humidity, cold temperatures and a cold wind. Snow falls in Johannesburg once every five years on average, with heavier snow like this occurring once every 10 to 20 years.
Snow was reported in Johannesburg, Soweto, Alberton, Roodepoort, Heidelberg and parts of Ekurhuleni, including Vosloorus.
Eskom ramped up load-shedding to stage 4 amid surging demand.

Snow occurred over the mountains of the Western Cape, as well as Sutherland on Saturday into Sunday, which spread to parts of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday.

September 2024
Heavy snowfalls in KwaZulu-Natal blanketed parts of the N3 highway, particularly between Warden and Tugela Plaza, leaving motorists stranded for hours. The heavy snow has also disrupted essential services, including water and electricity, in several communities.
Parts of the Eastern Cape including Gqeberha, Penhoek Pass, the R58 in Barkly East, and Mountain Shadow near Elliot also reported snowfall.

06 Nov 2024
Snow fell across areas of the Eastern Cape. This was the first major snowfall in November in 85 years.