Frost on ground after a cold winter's night Photo: Amy Fraser

A windswept Canberra is in for a milder and calmer end to the week with above-average temperatures forecast for the weekend.

While snow-like hail in the capital and a dusting on the mountains on Tuesday is set to be short-lived, there will likely be frosty mornings ahead.

The Bureau of Meteorology's Sean Carson said the biting winds that have battered the city for more than a week would slow down from Wednesday. 

Sherwin Sinlao and son, Shiloh, of Brighton, enjoy the snow at Perisher on Wednesday. Photo: Perisher

"The best news about Canberra's forecast is we're going to see an easing of the winds ... pretty much starting from tomorrow [Thursday] right into next week," he said. 

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"We've just had 10 consecutive days of very strong westerly winds. The wind chill has made temperatures feel pretty cold."

But early commuters might need to clear their windscreens Thursday morning with light winds and possible sub-zero temperatures expected to bring a light frost. 

Frost is also expected Friday and Saturday mornings. 

"Certainly [Wednesday night] we should get down to at least zero, perhaps a little lower," Mr Carson said.

Canberrans were drenched in a small burst of rain and hail Wednesday afternoon, with many convinced light snow blanketed the capital, but the Bureau's David Barlow said snow was unlikely.

"It's probably not cold enough - it's only around 10 degrees [as of 2pm]," he said.

"I'm not aware of any snow reports from Canberra. Small hail can look like snow when it's on the ground."

Mr Carson said the weather in Canberra was set to become much more balmy with a small jump to 15 degrees on Wednesday and a top of 18 degrees forecast for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

"The weekend looks pretty nice with a max of 18; it's about three degrees above average for this time of year," Mr Carson said.

It's a stark difference to the miserable showers and freezing gusts that dampened Mother's Day on Sunday.

But Sunday's morning's light snowfall returned to the mountains. 

Mr Carson said it was a chilly minus 5 at the top of Thredbo on Tuesday morning, however, the Snowy Mountains and the Brindabellas were only in for a small dusting of snow. 

Further snow Wednesday morning was unlikely.

"The only snowfall expected up there is fairly light, about 1cm. There's very light showers on the Brindabellas and at Thredbo," Mr Carson said.

"Over the past week they've built up a bit of snow at the highest peaks, above about 1900 metres - up to about 20cm last week.

"[On Wednesday] there could be a couple centimetres below that. No more snow is expected in the short term."

Motorists were urged to slow down due to snow and ice on the Federal Highway between Canberra and Goulburn on Wednesday afternoon.

Emergency services and traffic crews responded to reports of multiple crashes in the Collector area.

Northbound traffic was also affected by a car crash near Collector Road which has since been cleared.

A NSW Transport Management Centre spokesman said motorists should also exercise caution throughout the alpine region as there was snow and ice on roads in Kosciuszko National Park.

Weatherzone meteorologist James Casey said temperatures near Goulburn dropped to 2.6 degrees on Wednesday morning.

"It could have snowed a little bit but would have melted very quickly. 

"There's a storm cell moving south of Canberra which could bring some downdraughts or flurries or hail, which was the case earlier today."