Tasmania likely to be spared the worst of the latest cold snap

This Bureau of Meteorology satellite image on Monday afternoon shows the intense low fronts near Tasmania. (Supplied: Bureau of Meteorology)

Snow down to low levels, damaging winds and huge ocean swells. 

While these are forecast conditions very familiar to Tasmanians, the island state is likely to miss the worst of a powerful front that is making its way over eastern Australia.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) predicts up to 10 million people will be impacted by the "polar blast", which brings with it severe thunderstorms, 120 kilometre-per-hour winds, and snow to places like the Macedon Ranges in Victoria and sections of the Hume Highway between Canberra and Sydney.

"We've got quite an intense low moving across Victoria," meteorologist Deb Tabor said on Monday.

"That's bringing with it very strong winds and gnarly conditions to South Australia, northern Victoria and New South Wales."

Not a big dump of snow predicted but not quite thong weather either. (ABC News: April McLennan)

In parts of the country already sodden from months of above-average rainfall, there is an increased risk the wet weather will result in flooding.

But, in highly unusual news, Tasmania's weather is the envy of the eastern states.

While the worst of the weather is to Tasmania's north, the fringe of the system is likely to bring strong winds to the very north-west tip of the state late on Tuesday, and wet and windy conditions to most of the state on Wednesday.

The bureau has issued a bushwalkers' alert for snow but wombats should be able to plough on. (Instagram: Elizbriz)

"In the very north-west, probably gusting up to and even exceeding 100 kilometres per hour for a period late on Tuesday and early Wednesday," Ms Tabor said.

"Otherwise everywhere else will see gusty conditions, but probably around the 80 kilometre-per-hour mark for late Tuesday and coming up a little bit on Wednesday."

Behind the main front is some very cold air which will send temperatures plummeting across most of eastern Australia.

Snow predicted down to 600m

It seems there won't be a repeat of two years ago when Launceston received a rare blanketing of snow. (Supplied: Kaleb Clark/Lisa James)

While Tasmania won't see the 20-50 centimetres of snow forecast for Victorian and New South Wales ski fields, it won't dodge the cold snap entirely.

"We are likely to see some very cold conditions after that front crosses," Ms Tabor said.

"So some hail, particularly through western, central and southern areas, and that's where the showers are most likely, and the snow will fall to around 600 metres.

"But we're certainly missing the brunt of it in Tasmania."

The BOM said that system would pass over Tasmania late on Wednesday, and conditions were likely to be much more settled for the rest of the week.

To surf or not to surf? That could be the question in the next couple of days. (Supplied: Pat Fasnacht‎)