It was so cold the Bombala River froze over.

Bombala newsagent and local historian, Dave Goodyer said that he had lived in Bombala since 1966 and he had never seen the river freeze over before.

“The older residents can remember when it has happened in the past,” he said.

Dave Goodyer, a member of the Bombala and District Historical Society said that he’d found a newspaper clipping of an article in the Australian Town and Country Journal on Saturday, July 17, 1886 on page 16 that told of such an occasion.

The article titled Bombala Skating said that the weather had been very severe in Bombala for the last nine or 10 days with very hard frosts in the morning and sunshine all day.

“The ice on the Bombala River was fully 3 or 4 inches in thickness and there has been as many as 30 or 40 persons on it at one time, and a good many went in up to their necks,” the article said.

“Two pairs of ice skates brought from England by Mr J Phillips, one pair being used by Mr Dovers caused great fun for learners.

“The inhabitants of the town say that they have never known it to freeze like this before in the colonies, the ice being that thickness from Thursday up to Money,” the article concluded.

During this July the average temperature in Bombala has been a minimum of -4.7 to 11.8 degrees Celsius.

There have been frosts in Bombala and its surrounds for 15 mornings in a row.

Indications so far show that Bombala has possibly had its coldest month recorded in 49 years.

Thunderstorms are expected on Wednesday with sever frost. On Thursday snow tending to rain is predicted; Friday will be foggy in the morning leading to a sunny day.

The weekend weather predicts severe frosts in the mornings and sunny during the day with top temperatures between 11 and 14 .