Tasmania is the type of place that can experience all of the seasons in a 24 hour period! But it does still have 4 distinct seasons and you should factor that in when planning your self drive tour of Tasmania. There is no point in planning a trip for February if you want to see snow (although I’d never completely rule it out!) and if you are keen on beach days, perhaps Winter isn’t the best time of year. Having said that, there is no wrong time of year to tour Tasmania. Particularly if you are planning to self-drive tour as you can stop and start as you please.
Summer time in Tasmania is spectacular. Average temperatures are between 17°C and 23°C (63°F to 73°F) with days of high twenties or early thirties not uncommon. Every now and then the mercury will surpass 40°C…but it’s not often. Rainfall is usually low. So throw on the shorts and t-shirt and keep a jumper and rain coat handy!
Winter can get cold. Let’s be honest. Especially if it is windy. Winds can whip up from the southern ocean and make it feel like its carrying ice from the Antarctic! This is when the Tassie Tuxedo’s (black puffer jackets) come out! Expect average temperatures of 3°C to 11°C (37°F to 52°F) and if you are after snow, this is the best time of year to visit. Consider kunanyi / Mt Wellington, Mt Field, Ben Lomond and the Central Highlands.
Autumn can be absolutely stunning. With reasonable average temperatures of 11°C to 20°C (52°F to 68°F) it hasn’t yet gotten too cold. Deciduous trees and vineyard leaves start going through a spectacular changing of colour and tourist numbers are starting to drop. This can be a great time to visit.
Spring sees rainfall starting to reduce and wildflowers beginning to bloom. Newborn native animals are making their way in the world and temperatures are on the rise, 8°C to 16°C (46°F to 61°F). Wind is usually the prevailing weather feature during spring as the land starts to warm up and suck in the cooler air from the ocean.
Geographically, weather will vary across the state also. The West Coast is typically far wetter than the East and the North and North East coasts are usually a little warmer than further south.
When traveling with a Take A Local tour we will let you know if there is likely to be any weather related impacts on your journey. There is no right or wrong time to plan a tour to Tasmania. All seasons bring out the best in the state, just in differing ways and remember, there is no such thing as bad weather…just bad clothing choices! So pack your shorts, long pants, t-shirts, jumpers, jackets, sunhats and beanies, download the Take A Local guided tour app and lets go!
