Weather Extremes in Tasmania

[Son of a Beach]

There's been a lot of vague comments regarding the extremes of weather in Tasmania at all times of year in many forum topics. However, there's not been a lot of specific examples as yet.

What are some of the extreme weather conditions that you've experienced while bushwalking in Tasmania?

I'd particularly like to see some examples of harsh weather in Summer, but extremes of winter would also be interesting to see here.


As for myself, I've not experienced weather as bad as others I've heard from.

I've had about 3cm of snow on January 26th in the Walls of Jerusalem one year, and 3cm on February 28th in the Walls of Jerusalem another year.

I've seen about 30cm of snow on the Overland Track while doing a Lees Paddocks, Reedy Lake, Kia Ora, Mersey River circuit in late November, so that's about the beginning of Summer. I know it was fresh snow, because it wasn't there when I did another walk which overlapped the same area a few weeks earlier.

So that's a quick example of snow falls occurring at any time in summer (one being a moderately substantial fall).

I've also been on Shelf Camp (next to Mt Anne) in mid-March (ie, the end of Summer) on what started off as a perfectly calm evening, but during the night a wind storm came up which caused the large pole on my old tunnel-tent to hit me in the face repeatedly during the night while trying to sleep (it kept springing back and didn't break, thankfully). When I got up in the morning, I had one foot in the tent, and one foot out of the tent when it blew away, thankfully I caught it with the one foot still in the tent, but it did tear along one of the seams in the process. I would estimate that the wind was well over 50 knots (I've sailboarded in 45 knots, and it was somewhat stronger than that). When walking out across the plateau, it was actually quite humorous to watch the line of walkers in our party all fall over at the same time every time a gust of wind hit (including myself) - sure was glad to get back to High Camp Hut for a break!

Not from personal experience, but my brother was doing the Mt Anne circuit another time during summer with two other people, and the others' tent blew away completely never to be seen again!!! They all had to cram into the one tent for the remainder of the trip.

[Natt]

Hmm .. no picture

but I walked the overland track 4 years ago around Easter (late April), and the sun shone the whole time, warm and pleasant.

This time is traditionally coming onto winter and we had all the gear ready - but never needed it

[Son of a Beach]

I don't know this person, but apparently the photo HERE was taken during Summer in the Walls of Jerusalem. Looks like a reasonable snow dump for a single night in Summer.

[Steve]

Someone was telling me about this the other day. Must have been pretty bad to get lost near Marion's Lookout.
http://www.stormplanet.com/cradlemt.htm

[woka]

When i first came to Tassie (15-16 years ago from WA), I experienced snow & blizzards on the Overland Track in January. Visibility was down to 10-20 metres.

Thankfully I was with some friends from Tassie who knew what could happen and we were well prepared. At the time I thought they were mad, but in the end I was certainly glad for all the extra gear we bought!

I think the problem is that 95% of the time, you can get away with it. What people tend to forget is that it's not uncommon for people to die in the Tassie wilderness because they're unprepared (on average one a year I think? Something like that). It's just not worth it!!

[Robbo]

On January 6 this year this is a picture of my son just after we climbed through the 'hole in the roof' from Oberon to Pegasus. It wasn't sleeting or snowing but quite chilly - to sat the least.

Robbo

Attachments

Enjoying the view? from Mt Pegasus.

WestArthursJan2008.png (581.02 KiB) Viewed 15003 times

This is the same young man at Lake Cygnus a day and a half before...

WestArthursJan200821.png (677.99 KiB) Viewed 14993 times

[tasadam]

A typical summer, Mt Anne shelf camp, February 2008

DTC_0560.JPG (62.73 KiB) Viewed 14832 times

Read between the lines...

_______
SUMMER

[NickD]

I've gone to bed in January on the Western Arthurs under blue skies, woke up in a wild storm which lasted for two days! Only for it break apart at around 3pm and become a beautiful day worthy of staying out until the last ray of sun left the horizon.

Also been on Eliza plateau with a small blizzard in mid December.

On my trip to Mt Olympus in February 2007 it was SO hot. I know its to be expected at that time of the year, but this was REAL hot. No actual temperature ratings, but it was probably hotter than I'd felt all year.

We did the Labrynth mid winter 2006 and had quite reasonable temperatures the whole time. It wouldn't have dropped below 5 degrees at night and would have been mid teens during the day.

Also I can recall one night in February 2007, on a Lake Will trip - sleeping in boxers with NO sleeping bag. I had one, but it was too hot to use.

February 2008 - went to Mt Hugel and stayed at Shadow Lake - it was below 0 quite comfortably. I was a little chilly in my -5 degree bag.

[johnw]

I'll add my previous post about Paddys Lake and Black Bluff here. Being flattened to the ground by gale force winds and then barely able to stand upright, let alone walk normally, probably qualifies!
http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=751

[tasadam]

As does this post.

[Son of a Beach]

Just got home from a day walk across Black Bluff (with the strollers). I'm not sure if this qualifies as extreme, but the weather was certainly fierce on the mountain for a Summer's day when the weather was beautiful in all the state's population centres, as far as I can tell.

I was wearing:

• merino wool thermal
• polar fleece vest
• double layer + windstopper polar fleece jacket
• gortex raincoat
• polar fleece beanie

all at once, and I was still cold, just on the plateau near the Paddy's Lake camp site, somewhat below the summit.

It is summer, and there is a little bit of snow on the plateau, here and there. The wind was 43 knots (80 km/h) measured near the summit, and the rain felt like spears of ice when it hit the face.

Man Tasadam- those photos were awesome. My wife, a real hardcase and former pro photographer, was impressed, and she aint easy to please!

[tasadam]

Man Tasadam- those photos were awesome. My wife, a real hardcase and former pro photographer, was impressed, and she aint easy to please!

Thanks.

[ClockworkLemon]

I've also been on Shelf Camp (next to Mt Anne) in mid-March (ie, the end of Summer) on what started off as a perfectly calm evening, but during the night a wind storm came up which caused the large pole on my old tunnel-tent to hit me in the face repeatedly during the night while trying to sleep (it kept springing back and didn't break, thankfully). When I got up in the morning, I had one foot in the tent, and one foot out of the tent when it blew away, thankfully I caught it with the one foot still in the tent, but it did tear along one of the seams in the process.

There's a coincidence... The one walk that sticks in my mind for extremes in weather was on Mt Anne as well. We were planning on walking for 3 days, camping for 2 nights at the shelf camp. On the drive in the weather wasn't looking brilliant, with cloud over the peaks and frequent rain, but it was starting to clear up by the time we reached Condominium Creek.

By the time we were half way to High Camp Hut, the sun was out, and it was looking like we were going to have brilliant weather for the whole walk. On our first night we ended up camping in a sheltered spot on the Eliza plateau, as we ran out of time to make it to shelf camp. The wind picked up overnight, but the next day was still fantastic weather, except for the wind. The next night we camped in what we thought was a fantastic sheltered spot near Mt Eliza, and indeed, we were out of the worst of the wind, which had picked up considerably during the day. Until the wind changed direction, of course.

That night would have to be, without a doubt, the worst night I have spent in a tent. The tent that I was using at the time should never have been used in those conditions. It was coping fairly well with the high wind, until the wind direction changed. Once the wind started to hit it from the side, it just collapsed. Being woken up by your tent roof hitting you in the face is bad enough (I spent several hours with my hands and feet bracing the four corners of my tent to stop that happening), but it's nothing compared to being woken up as your tent lifts of the ground (with you still in it...) when half the pegs have come out of the ground.

Last edited by ClockworkLemon on Fri 26 Dec, 2008 7:22 am, edited 1 time in total.

[TassieMargie]

Some very hairy stories there guys.

My partner and I were camping at Dora point and decided to to the Humbug point walk. Started out with beautiful blue skies, warm weather and a couple of fluffy clouds in the sky. Saw lots of birds and other animals on the way out.

When we reached the point itself we saw clouds rolling in, I mean dark clouds. So we double timed it back to our camp site not long after we were being snowed on. This was at sea level at the start of summer in 2006.

I really love the weather down here in Tassie.

[Son of a Beach]

Snow at sea level on the East Coast in Summer? That really is extreme!

[TassieMargie]

It was amazing. A couple of days before we were at Cockle Creek and we were snowed on there too. We went north to get away from to snow, it followed us LOL

[Earthling]

Some good examples of the varieties of weather in Tasmania during the 'warmer' months.
Just what us mainlanders coming to Tas need, to get a better understanding of what can and does happen weather wise.
Does anybody know what the coldest it has ever been officially recorded in Tasmania?

[ClockworkLemon]

Does anybody know what the coldest it has ever been officially recorded in Tasmania?

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Tassie's coldest recorded temperature was -13 °C at Shannon, Tarraleah and Butlers Gorge in June 1983.