The first day of winter has brought the chilliest day of the year, with icy winds leaving NSW and the ACT shivering and snow falling in some areas.

A low pressure system over the southeastern Tasman Sea is directing bitterly cold and blustery winds across NSW, with snow falling in the Central Tablelands towns of Blayney, Bathurst, Oberon and west of Lithgow, as well as the southern ranges.

Plummeting temperatures also brought snow to the nation’s capital Canberra as ministers were sworn in on Wednesday.

The Bureau of Meteorology says very windy and cold conditions are likely to persist throughout the day as a high-pressure system moves over western parts of the state.

Western Sydney residents faced gusts up to 100km/h overnight with the BOM issuing a severe weather warning for damaging winds of 60-70km/h on and east of the Great Dividing Range.

Several areas through the Illawarra have also recorded wind gusts in excess of 90km/h, while Newcastle, Sydney, Wollongong, Nowra, Armidale, Canberra and Goulburn are all likely to cop severe weather.

The NSW snowfields will open early this weekend, with Thredbo resort reporting 19 centimetres of snow falling over the last six days and Perisher recording 22cm over the same period.

Saturated ground from the drenching NSW copped over the last few months brings an increased risk of gusting winds toppling trees and powerlines, particularly along elevated terrain.

The SES has responded to about 1400 calls for help since Monday with falling trees causing the greatest hazard.

The plummeting mercury comes after Sydney recorded its wettest autumn on record.

The state capital’s 1008.4mm between March and May is the city’s highest autumn total in records dating back to 1859, said Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino.

The January-to-May period was also Sydney’s wettest on record.

– AAP

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