But Thursday's fall also caused power outages, closed roads, the Orange Regional Airport, Cook Park and the Botanic Gardens, disrupted schools and brought down tree branches.

The snow was about 11 centimetres deep across parks, gardens and car roofs leading to a rush by residents and families from out of town to build snowmen and have snowball fights in parks and gardens around Orange.

An Orange City Council statement described the fall, which began in the early hours of Thursday morning and petered out at about 1pm, as "the heaviest fall in many years in Orange."

Long time residents reverends Gary and Anne Neville said it was the best fall in years.

They joined many people in the white landscape of Elephant Park on Thursday morning. "We haven't seen it like this for 40 years. This is beautiful," he said.

Other people said they had not seen the snow so deep or stay around for so long in the centre of town.

Key streets in the city were coated in dirty, mushy ice as cars covered in snow travelled through the city.

Visitors from surrounding towns including Wellington, Molong, Cowra, Young and Dubbo at city parks said they had come to see the snow.

For many young children including Abbi Evison and Magnolia O'Donnell it was the first time in the snow.

Nick Evison said: "She's [Abi] never seen it before."

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Hugh McDowell said there would be more snow above 1000-1100 metres on Friday. He said it would snow on Mount Canobolas but it was less likely in town.

"There is a chance of a few showers tomorrow," he said.

Mr McDowell said the bureau did not keep snow records but he said it appeared up to 10 centimetres had fallen.

The temperature hovered around zero for most of the day with the feels-like temperature at about minus four degrees.

Essential Energy spokeswoman Bronya Pressler said about 1000 customers, mainly in East Orange, lost power for hours after a tree knocked out powerlines at 9.30am.

"Crews worked to remove the tree. However before power could be restored, a motor vehicle impacted a power pole near St Marys Catholic Primary School," she said. Crews worked to restore power to the area.

Another 400 customers in the Ploughmans Lane and Forbes Road areas lost power when snow caused powerlines to break and fall to the ground while a similar problem affected about 200 customers in the Ophir Road area on Thursday morning.

About 290 Cargo residents were hit by a power outage on Wednesday night.

Orange Buslines cancelled all its services including school routes on Thursday.

Many schoolchildren had the day off with at least one school, James Sheahan Catholic High School, being closed because of the snow, while others had less students due to the bus shutdown.

Access to Mount Canobolas was still closed on Thursday afternoon.

The Mitchell Highway was closed in both directions between Millthorpe and Bradwardine roads from 10.20am, but later re-opened.

Orange City Council's road closures included The Escort Way at Jonathan Road, Pinnacle Road at Shiralee Road, Canobolas Road at Pheasants Lane while council tree crews were working to clear Clergate Road after a tree fell across it.

Cabonne Council announced road closures for Amaroo Road (except for local traffic),The Escort Way (between the Northern Distributor in Orange and Peabody Road), Pinnacle Road, Cargo Road, Lake Canobolas Road, Old Canobolas Road, Borenore Road, Canobolas Road and South Bowan Park Road.

Police have encouraged motorists to be patient with road conditions today and also over the long weekend, with roads across the state expected to be busy with travellers.

Officers will be stationed across NSW for Operation Queen's Birthday 2021 between midnight Friday and midnight Monday.

Double demerit points will again be in force for speeding, mobile phone, seatbelt and motorcycle/helmet offences.

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