The big chill in southern Queensland has delivered what could be the state's most significant snowfall in 30 years.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said up to eight centimetres has been recorded by locals around Eukey and Stanthorpe on the Granite Belt.

Snow started falling in the border region about midnight. ( ABC News: Gordon Fuad )

Senior forecaster Sam Campbell said the falls started about midnight and continued until as late as 5:00am.

"It's a difficult thing for us to keep track of how much snow actually falls in some of these places. Often they're quite isolated and we don't have reliable observations," he said.

"But what we can say is we had a record of five centimetres falling in 2007 and nothing significant in our records between then and 1984, so it's entirely possible that these are the best falls seen in Queensland in over 30 years."

Abbie Reeves, 15, throws a snowball after unusually high snowfall in Stanthorpe. ( Audience submitted: Juliette Reeves )

BOM said it would take some time to get an exact figure because Queensland had no heated rain gauges.

It said the bureau's official observer in Stanthorpe would have to put the gauge in warm weather to melt the snow, and measure the amount of water left behind.

Snow falls at Stanthorpe leaving a blanket on cars and balconies. ( Audience submitted: Juliette Reeves )

But Mr Campbell said the falls in Queensland are "pretty much done now".

"There's a slight chance of a little bit of further snow this morning but the very cold air mass in the upper level surface [means] the snow is now moving eastwards towards the New South Wales coast - so this will be the last of the snow."

Stanthorpe streets were lined with snow in the early hours. ( ABC News: Ellie Sibson )

Locals and tourists were determined not to miss the rare event.

Families braved the freezing cold to make snowmen at 2:00am.

Snowman made in Stanthorpe, south-east Queensland, after unusually large snowfalls across the region, July 17, 2015. ( Audience submitted: Megan Mawghan )

Candice Sires travelled from Dalby to get a glimpse.

"We haven't slept yet and wow," she said.

Snow at Wallangarra, south of Stanthorpe, makes for a unique Queensland landscape. ( Facebook: Higgins Storm Chasing - submitted by Elana Scott )

Stanthorpe resident Margaret Osborne said she has not seen anything like it since the "great snow fall" of 1984.

View of snow from Mount Marley overlooking Stanthorpe in southern Queensland's Granite Belt. ( Facebook: Higgins Storm Chasing - submitted by Phillippa Bates )

"All I can see is snow, white, white, white, nothing else," she said.

"The roofs are covered, the trees, right up high, we're at the back of a park and the trees are just covered in white as far as you can see, and they're pretty big trees."

Ballandean in south-east Queensland wakes to a layer of snow covering the landscape, July 17, 2015. ( ABC News: Mark Leonardi )

Fellow Stanthorpe local Michael Hilton agreed it was something special.

"I woke up and walked outside approximately 3:10am and was just absolutely amazed," he said.

"I missed the 1984 snow but I've never ever ever seen anything like this in my entire life. It's just like a winter wonderland."

Snow falls on an already thick layer covering the ground in Stanthorpe. ( Audience submitted: Gordana Sommer )

It is the second time this week snow has fallen in the region.

Eukey got a very light dusting on Monday, which melted as it touched the ground.

Snow covers a car windscreen at Ballandean in south-east Queensland, July 17, 2015. ( ABC News: Mark Leonardi )

Wind chill to keep southern Queensland shivering: BoM

BOM spokesman Jess Carey said even though snow fell, the cold snap was not record breaking.

"Overnight temperatures last night were absolutely below the average temperature, and we've had some quite cold winds around ... so definitely below average but no records broken from this particular event, and really not forecasting that either," he said.

Snow at Girraween National Park near Stanthorpe on Queensland's Granite Belt. ( ABC News: Gordon Fuad )

He said the mercury had plunged four to five degrees below normal overnight and was likely to stay down throughout Friday.

"The take-home message is that we've got some pretty cold south-westerlies moving through the southern interior and also the south-east coast as well, and that's going to make that already cold temperature feel even colder."

Snow covers a bush and garden at Ballandean. ( ABC News: Mark Leonardi )

Mr Carey said the wind chill was particularly significant at Applethorpe on the snowy granite belt, where it was officially 0.7 degrees Celsius around 10:30am, but the apparent temperature measured just -6.6 degrees Celsius.

At the same time Brisbane was 11.4C, but the wind chill made it feel like it was 6.5C.