Snow is not an indicator of temperature, but of the correct conditions to create snow. Usually the areas associated with cold in SA are too dry to form snow, and the damper areas never get cold enough to snow. So in JHB for example, snow will be an indicator of moisture in the air, but dryer days can still be far colder than the odd day that it snows.
At least this is how it has been explained to me by a geologist (granted, not a meteorologist). The only reason why electricity usage would increase would be due to human misconceptions of snow indicating colder temperatures than dry winters.
But this whole argument is nonsense - snow is a very rare occurrence and only lasts a few hours at most in SA. If it wreaks havoc with their equipment and ability to supply electricity then the rain would too. It's not like the snow was 10ft deep...
