In general, Tasmania is colder than most other Australian states and territories.
But locally, there is a significant variation in winter temperatures in Tasmania.
Where are the coldest places?
Liawenee, in the central highlands of the state, holds the current record for the lowest temperature observed in the state.
On August 7, 2020, the temperature in Liawenee dropped to -14.2 degrees Celsius, more than 1C colder than the previous state record.
Three sites, also located in the central highlands, share second place for Tasmania’s lowest temperature recorded at -13.0 C on June 30, 1983: Tarraleah Village, Butlers Gorge and Shannon Hydro-Electric Corporation (HEC ).
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Tasmania is the coldest state in Australia in general because it is closer to the polar region compared to other Australian states and territories, and experiences more frequent gusts of cold Antarctic air.
Colder nights occur when conditions are clear and calm, especially if there is snow cover.
Under these conditions, cold, dense air drains down the slopes, so valley and plateau locations above the snow line have lower extreme minimum temperatures than mountain peak locations.
For example, the historical low in Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is relatively modest -8.1ºC.
Snow on kunanyi / Mt Wellington seen from Bellerive beach, Tasmania. August 16, 2021. (Supplied by: Nathalia Secco)
Central highlands tend to have the lowest temperatures in Tasmania due to their relatively high elevation, local topography, and distance from the coast.
Liawenee Weather Station is 1,057 meters above sea level, more than the previous three records.
Colder temperatures (until December 31, 2021)
RANG
° C
DATE
NAME OF THE WEATHER STATION
1
-14.2
August 7, 2020
Liawenee
2
-13
June 30, 1983
Town of Tarraleah
3
-13
June 30, 1983
Butlers Gorge
4
-13
June 30, 1983
Shannon HEC
5
-12.5
July 1, 1983
Butlers Gorge
6
-12.5
June 24, 1972
Bothwell (Franklin Street)
7
-12.2
July 9, 2013
Liawenee
8
-12.2
June 24, 1972
Campbell Town
9
-11.9
June 24, 1972
Palmerston
10
-11.7
August 10, 2020
Liawenee
10
-11.7
June 24, 1972
Oatlands Post Office
Source: BOM
Cold snow fun for Ray and Linda Robertson. (ABC News: Rhiannon Shine)
What causes a significant low-altitude snow event and how often is it?
For snow to fall to low altitudes, the air must be much cooler than usual.
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The coldest air in the Tasman region comes from the south, directly from Antarctica.
A cold front associated with a low-pressure system, or a trough, moving through Tasmania can carry super-cooled Antarctic air from the south over the state.
A cold front is the boundary between a relatively cold air mass and a warmer air mass.
The cold fronts tilt upwards with the height, so that they sink under the warmer air, raising it. If this warmer air is humid, water vapor condenses to form clouds.
This is why rain often accompanies a cold front. Snow can develop behind the cold front in cooler air.
The snow that falls at low levels in Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is not uncommon as it affects the roads and mountain residents.
Vinces Saddle, in southern Tasmania, can be tricky for motorists during the cold months. (Photographed by Nick Monk)
It is unusual for snow to settle at sea level.
However, on November 15, 2021, snow fell to sea level in parts of southern Tasmania and settled on land up to about 200 meters above sea level in the suburbs of Hobart.
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It was the coldest November morning in Hobart since 1953.
In rare cases, low snow may fall further north, although with southwest winds, northern Tasmania often remains dry, although the air is cold enough for the snow because moisture is blocked by the mountains.
In August 2020, during the same week that Liawenee set the current record for the lowest temperature in Tasmania, snow settled on the ground at Launceston.
It was the heaviest snowfall in the area since 1921.
The look on Piotr Babis’ face says it all. (Supplied by: Piotr Babis)
How does Tasmania compare to Antarctica and the rest of the country?
The average minimum temperatures in Tasmania during the winter are comparable to the temperatures in places like Northeast Victoria and Southeast New South Wales.
Map showing the average daily minimum temperatures during the winter, during the period 1961 to 1990. (Bureau of Meteorology)
At 1,755 meters above sea level, the Charlotte Pass (Kosciuszko Chalet) weather station in New South Wales holds the current record for the lowest temperature observed in Australia, with -23.0 C on 29 June 1994.
Beautiful as a picture at the Great Lake Hotel in the central highlands of Tasmania. (Provided by: John Warden)
The Charlotte Pass site is at the bottom of a deep valley and is ideally located for extremely low temperatures.
The Antarctic territory of Australia becomes even colder.
The Office weather station at Davis station on the Antarctic coast has an average minimum winter temperature of -20.1ºC.
The lowest temperature recorded in Davis is -41.8 ºC, recorded on April 27, 1998.
Temperatures are even lower on the Antarctic plateau. The Vostok station, operated by Russia but located within the Australian Antarctic territory, recorded the lowest known temperature in the world, at -89.2ºC on July 21, 1983.
Snow at Collins Cape, Collinsvale, Tasmania August 2021. (Supplied by: Lily Taylor)
Changes in Tasmanian temperatures over time
Tasmania has experienced a trend of warming winter temperatures since the 1950s.
The ten warmest winters in Tasmania since 1910 occurred after 1979.
New low-temperature records are likely to occur in Tasmania over the next few decades, but at a much slower pace than new high-temperature records.
Snow clearing at Mount Wellington ‘Pinnacle Road, Hobart, June 2022. (Hobart City)