The highest temperature recorded in the state on Thursday was 29.6°, in Bourke. This makes it the first time New South Wales has stayed cooler than 30° in January since 1984. At the other end of the scale, Thredbo Top Station dipped to minus 3.7°, its lowest January temperature in 12 years.

In 1984, on the 31st day of the month, 29.4° was the state's high temperature, in Murwillumbah.

The reason for the current chill is a low pressure system, which brought with it cold air from Antarctica. The low intensified near Tasmania on Wednesday, sending brisk winds over Victoria, the ACT, NSW and southern Queensland and snow to the Alps. Winds were at their strongest in Victoria, where they peaked at 122km/h in the Melbourne area.

These brisk winds did ease through most of southeastern Australia during Thursday, but only after providing residents with a taste of winter.

It was a wintry start to Thursday with parts of the central and southern inland of NSW and the ACT having its coldest January morning in decades.

Taralga (1.1°), Canberra (1.6°), Katoomba (4.2°) and Parkes (6.8°) all recorded their lowest January temperatures in more than 50 years.

The unseasonable chill is short-lived with all of the state warming up on Friday. The intense low has travelled to New Zealand, causing southwesterly winds to turn easterly in NSW and for temperatures to rise to near average.

It will be even warmer as we head into next week, so cardigans and gloves can be packed away again.