Canberra's Coldest Spring Morning On Record; Europe's Historic September Snowfall Turns Deadly; + X4.5 Flare To Deliver Earth Glancing Blow

2 meters (6.6 feet) of snow have hit the highest peaks, killing at least 2, with more storms on the way.

Canberra's Coldest Spring Morning On Record

Canberra experienced a historic cold snap early Monday morning, with temperatures plummeting to -6.9C (19.6F) — the coldest temperature ever recorded in any spring month since record books began back in 1923, besting the previous seasonal low of -6.8C (19.8F) from Sept 2012.

This unseasonable freeze was the result of a brutal Antarctic air mass that engulfed southeastern Australia. The cold front brought showers to Canberra and late-season snow to the alpine areas of New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria, and also the ACT.

Even some towns on the outskirts of the mountains experienced snowfalls.

While Thredbo's gondola was covered in fresh snow just days after closing for the season:

[Rusty J via ski.com.au]