Tasmania is the coolest region of Australia and differs from the mainland in several ways, mainly in that it has more defined seasons.  The climate overall is a temperate maritime climate with hot summers and mild winters.  Though often pleasant, the weather can be unpredictable: winter days are often clear and sunny, but it's not unheard-of to see snow on Mt Wellington in December, and some days seem to have all four seasons thrown in!  The best solution?  Wear a few layers of clothes that you can add to or strip off as necessary.

Tourists must remember to keep in mind that summer is opposite of the northern hemisphere: Australians celebrate summer solstice day on December 22nd, which for many people is the shortest day of the year where they come from.  In fact, summer days here are longer than in any other capital city in Australia. Some months of summer it doesn't get dark until 9pm.  Summer is definitely full of activity; there are many festivals, sailing and sporting competitions. The Hobart Summer Festival takes place right after Christmas and is a great time to visit; a part of this includes the "Taste of Tasmania" food festival, which tourists relish in each year. The  "Sydney to Hobart" yacht race finishes around December 28 through 31, on the magnificent Derwent River.

The all year long Salamanca Market held at historic Salamanca Place every Saturday morning, and is something you must not miss. You will find all sorts of local treasures and gifts here. Have a coffee and something to eat at the many alfresco eateries and resuarants found in this area. Take an umbrella if it's raining.

Hobart's location, nestled between Mt Wellington and The Derwent River, helps buffer the city from extreme weather conditions.

Autumn sees the changing of leaf colours in Hobart's parks and gardens.  It can be a very beautiful season; temperatures are usually mild and consistent  up until around April, after that you still get the odd nice day but you take pot luck.

Winter brings on snowfall on the mountains like Mount Wellington, behind Hobart, but snow down to sea level is rare.  Much of winter is overcast, with rain showers, but with quite a few crisp, clear days as well.  Daily maximum temperatures in winter would average 10 - 15 degrees celcius.  If you can cope with the weather you can avoid crowds of other travellers and have Hobart's attractions mostly to yourself.  Even Hobartians go into partial hibernation over winter, so restaurants, hotels and even the city centre are less crowded.  During the middle of winter it gets dark at about 5pm.

Spring can be glorious but is often unsettled.  September and October can be very windy and blustery, although the bulbs and blossoms of Spring are plentiful and very beautiful.  The rural areas surrounding Hobart are at their greenest and most attractive, and The Royal Tasmanian Botanic Gardens holds its annual tulip festival at this time.  By late October and early November the days are long and the weather is warming up properly.  Daylight savings starts on the first Sunday of October, giving an extra hour of daylight in the evenings.

Hobart's Summer evenings seem to last forever, though there's still a bit of a chill in the air once the sun eventually goes down.  From November to February you can expect maximum temperatures in the mid twenties most days.  There's usually a handful of days in Summer where the temperature tops 30 degrees centigrade, but don't expect the persistent, sweltering heat and humidity that you'll find on the mainland in Summer.  Don't let the cooler temperatures fool you though: due to the clean, clear air and Tassie's proximity to the ozone hole over Antarctica, the sun here is stronger than you expect and can burn in as little as 15 minutes.  Wear sunscreen!

October through to April are probably the best months to travel, especially if you plan to spend much time outdoors.  Winter might appeal if you fancy snuggling by a log fire in a historic B&B and avoiding the Summer crowds.  It's a beautiful place to visit any time of the year and the people of Tasmania are very friendly and helpful folk.

See http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/tas/ for more detailed information about the Tasmanian climate.