Snowfall continues in four SA provinces and Lesotho on Saturday and Sunday with warnings

By Staff Writer
Published: 30 June 2025 [updated 5 July]

This forecast covers: Thu 03 Jul – Mon 07 Jul


Snow is possible for parts of the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, North West and even Gauteng as well as Lesotho between Thursday and Monday.

Temperatures look set to drop well below freezing in many areas as multiple cold fronts arrive and a cut-off low develops.

The snowfall is indicated to be anything from very light in most places to heavier in the areas marked in purple on the map. The main snowfall periods are Thursday and overnight into Friday morning and then late on Saturday and through Sunday.

The snow currently indicated in the data will be low enough to settle on the high-ground and mountain passes in some of the areas marked on the map.

The light snowfall or sleet indicated for Gauteng, including Johannesburg fell in the early hours of Friday morning and we posted videos on our facebook page.

Most of the Western Cape peaks should receive some snowfall on Thursday and then from late Friday through to Sunday. This includes the peaks around Somerset West, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Wellington, Franschhoek, Tulbagh, Worcester, Robertson, Ceres, the Koue Bokkeveld, the Cederberg, De Doorns and the Swartberg range near Ladismith. The high ground around Beaufort West, Murraysburg and Uniondale is also on the radar for snowfall late on Saturday or Sunday.

If any low-level snow falls in the Cederberg, Koue Bokkeveld or the Bo-swaarmoed Pass and Matroosberg Reserve it will be on Sunday but at this stage it may not come down really low.

In the Northern Cape the high ground around Sutherland, Victoria West, Richmond, Noupoort and De Aar are indicated to get some snow on Saturday or Sunday.

In the Eastern Cape, snow is again indicated for the high ground around Nieu-Bethesda and Graaff-Reinet, Middelburg, Cradock, Hofmeyr, Molteno, Dordrecht, Burgersdorp, Hogsback, Aliwal North, Barkly East, Khowa (Elliot), Maclear, Lady Grey, Rhodes and the high passes in that area such as Barkly Pass and Naude's Nek Pass.

The SA Weather Service has issued a level 1 warning for disruptive snowfall in parts of the Eastern Cape on Saturday and a level 2 warning for Sunday.

ALSO READ: Warnings for disruptive snowfall and rainfall as well as damaging waves on Saturday.

Snowfall is possible in the southern Free State as per the map.

In KwaZulu-Natal the Drakensberg has already had some snowfall and may get more, but no low-level snow is expected.

Snow is indicated for much of Lesotho, with heavier snowfall up to 20cm in some areas, including around Afriski Mountain Resort. The top of Sani Pass might get some snowfall. Some of the heavier snow for Lesotho will fall overnight into Friday and then more can be expected on the weekend.

If you are planning to travel through areas that may get snow it is worth being prepared by reading our article on safe winter travel.

Based on current data, driving may be slightly challenging in some areas for a short time, except for Lesotho where roads could be closed for a few days.


The map indicates where we are seeing the possibility of snow, but it may not fall in all of the areas shown on the map. As with any forecast of any kind (temperature, clouds, rain, wind), what eventually happens may or may not be similar to the forecast. Snow indicated may reduce or vanish completely in some areas, or the dates and times may change.


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