Tasmanians could enjoy a mid-summer White Christmas – depending on where they live.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast snowfalls above 800m for tomorrow, and above 700m for December 25.
These altitudes are much lower than normal, particularly for summer, so it won’t just be adventurous hikers who could enjoy it.
Weatherzone said small towns like Miena (elevation 1052m) next to Tasmania’s Great Lake, could cop falls.
Even Hobart’s Kunanyi (1271m summit) could see some snow.
But lower down, the precipitation is set to turn to chilly rain, with some small hail mixed in.
Hobart is looking at a top of 15 degrees on Christmas Day, with overnight lows of 8 degrees.
Despite the lower temperatures, UV ratings are high, with sun protection recommended from 9am to 5.20pm.
Weatherzone reported that brief snowfalls were not abnormal for Tasmania’s highest elevations in summer, with falls recorded even a week ago.
“While the cold fronts that circulate the Southern Ocean tend to slip southwards during the Australian summer, the occasional pool of unstable polar air is always a chance to push northwards at this time of year,” the weather reporting site said.
“That’s what will occur this week, and it’s largely thanks to the jet stream – the swift-moving ‘river’ of air high in the atmosphere which generally blows from west to east.”
But the cold air is set to stay mostly south of the mainland.
