You'd be forgiven for staying in bed a little longer on Saturday morning. Canberra was dusted over with frost overnight as temperatures plunged to minus 7.1.
Along the Monaro Highway, trees had turned white and fog hung over much of the capital.
![Canberrans woke up to a frosted city on Saturday.](http://web.archive.org./web/20171028130010im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/g/i/5/9/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxgh57.png/1500697083265.jpg)
And, while Thredbo enjoyed its biggest snowfall of the season this week, overnight lows were relatively modest compared to the capital, hitting minus 5.7 just after midnight.
Not to be deterred, runners pounded tracks across Canberra on Saturday morning, some reporting frosted shoelaces and caps. Junior sporting matches kicked off on silver fields as the fog persisted.
By 10:30am, temperatures were still below zero ahead of an expected top of 13 degrees.
According to meteorologists, the capital is having its coldest start to winter in 33 years.
Average lows for the season have hovered around minus 2.1 degrees, well below the long-term average of zero.
Weatherzone said there were only three mornings this month that stayed above zero degrees, compared to 21 July mornings in 2016.
![Canberrans woke up to a frosted city on Saturday.](http://web.archive.org./web/20171028130010im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/g/h/4/a/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxgh57.png/1500697083265.jpg)
On the first of July this year, Canberra shivered through an "unusual" overnight drop to minus 8.7 degrees. The lowest on record is minus 10 in 1971.
![Troy Roberts captured some morning frost as temperatures climbed to minus 3.5 degrees.](http://web.archive.org./web/20171028130010im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/g/h/6/7/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gxgh57.png/1500697083265.jpg)
It's part of an "epidemic" of frosty mornings across much of southeast Australia, with dry weather keeping skies clear overnight.
At the same time, daytime temperatures in Canberra are coming in above average.
"Canberra's meagre 12mm of rain from the start of June to 9am today makes this the city's driest start to winter in 38 years and their third driest start on record," Weatherzone said.
![Mark Scarborough with a frosty cap at the Gungahlin parkrun.](http://web.archive.org./web/20171028130010im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/g/i/9/6/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gxgh57.png/1500697083265.jpg)
As for the rest of the week, the worst of the cold snap may be over. Sunday is expected to reach a sunny 14 degrees after a modest minus 3 degree low.
The working week will kick off with a zero degree morning and a top of 14 degrees. Tuesday will dip down into minus 3 territory before reaching 14 degrees.
Game day! The frost may be thick but the rugby is strong. @Canberra #rugby #-7Brr pic.twitter.com/J0sSigLxf0
— Vikings Junior Rugby (@vikingsjuniors) July 21, 2017
Kids soccer on a Canberra winter's morn. -2 degrees. Fog. Where are the goals? #frozen pic.twitter.com/MMqjaTBxb7
— Tim Sherratt (@wragge) July 21, 2017
Yesterday ☀️🌝🌞 and today 🌬🌀❄ in #canberra pic.twitter.com/hA8Nf6nx4i
— Anna Campbell (@annahaycampbell) July 22, 2017
On Saturday morning a dangerous surf warning was issued for waters along the coast for Illawarra, Batemans Bay and Eden by the Bureau of Meteorology.
A fisherman was found dead after being swept off the rocks about 7:30am on Saturday at Merry Beach on the south coast.
The death comes on the first weekend the bureau started the new weather warning aimed at enhancing the safety of rock fishers, boaters and swimmers in and around coastal waters.
*Weatherzone is owned by Fairfax Media, publisher of The Canberra Times.