Isolated pockets of hail storms have unleashed snow-like conditions over a string of towns in Queensland’s south-east.

Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist Baden Gilbert said the town of Toogoolawah, 120 kilometres north-west of Brisbane, was belted by an unusual afternoon arctic blast yesterday.

“If you were under one of those storms with hail in it, you probably would have noticed the temperature drop quite a bit, very locally around you as that storm went through,” Gilbert said.

The suburb of Lacey’s Creek near Dayboro was also peppered with hailstones that blanketed Emma Henderson’s backyard.

“It went for about 40 minutes and it was just like the storm was sitting above us,” Henderson said.

Gilbert said the event was driven by an upper trough which covered a broad area of south-eastern Queensland.

“But the storms and showers that are driving that hail are quite isolated in nature so it can be quite hit and miss,” he said.

About 150 kilometres west in Crows Nest, residents were building snowmen.