Satellite images reveal fresh snow on Australia's peaks

WASHINGTON, June 13 (UPI) -- With the unofficial start to summer already passed, and the official beginning fast approaching, beaches in the United States are quickly crowding.

But in Australia (and the rest of the Southern Hemisphere), winter has already begun.

The cold season officially started Down Under on June 1. Now, the continent's peaks have received their first significant dressing of snow. One of NASA's Earth-facing satellites, Landsat 8, recently captured the transformation in pictures.

Earlier this month, Australia's Snowy Mountains were blanketed with nearly eight inches of snow. A before-and-after shot of the mountains taken by Landsat 8's camera, the Operational Land Imager, reveals the fresh powder.

The Snowy Mountains, located in New South Wales, make up the continent's largest mountain range. Though most of the peaks -- nicknamed the Australian Alps -- don't quite have large enough bases for skiing, more snow is on the way.

"The Snowy Mountains region is home to good snowfalls from June through to September and to Australia's highest mountain -- Mount Kosciuszko," Radio Australia reports.

Kosciuszko tops out at 7,309 feet. By comparison, North America's tallest peak, Alaska's Mount McKinley, measures a towering 20,237 feet high.