Take note if you're one of the many thousands of Australians who go walking in the high country of NSW, Victoria or Tasmania over Easter: cold, snowy weather is coming!

We told you yesterday that Melbourne could be in for its coldest Easter Sunday in 80 years, with a top of just 15°C forecast. That'll come as a bit of a slap-in-the-face after a quick burst of warmth and a high of 26°C on Thursday.

Colder temps are also in store for the mountains, as that same cold front surges across Tasmania and southeastern Australia on Saturday into Sunday. Take a look at our synoptic chart for the coming Saturday night.

Brrrr!

You can see how chilly southwesterlies will be funnelled across Tasmania and the southeast corner of the mainland. For anyone walking the high country, this will make for extreme conditions so please be careful out there or consider postponing your trip, especially if it involves camping overnight.

Not a huge amount of moisture is associated with this system with the low pressure systems positioned a little too far east and south for a big winter-style blizzard. But snow accumulations of up to 10 cm can still be expected at higher elevations.

After the system passes, a run of clearer weather with night-time temps dipping well below zero can be expected late in the Easter break and into next week. There'll be heavy frosts in the mountains, and even elevated places on the nearby tablelands like Canberra could see their first white lawns of 2023.