Eastern Tasmanian forecast by Steve Shearer (issued Wed April 23rd)

Features of the Forecast (tl;dr)

• Building NE windswell Thurs PM, extends into Fri AM
• Small blend of local NE and long range E/NE swells Sat under light winds
• S swell  peaking on Mon
• More S swell next week

Recap

Small S swells yesterday offered up 2-3ft surf at S facing beaches. Today has seen swell shift to the E with size in the 2ft range under NW tending NE winds. 

This week and next week (Apr 23 - May 2)

We’ve got a slow moving high sitting east of Tasmania and a trough of low pressure off the North Coast directing an onshore flow across most of the Eastern Seaboard tending N’ly off Southern NSW to Tasmania. Not a great change through the rest of the week with the trough devolving into a trough line and sitting on the coast and a new trough of low pressure forming on the weekend. NE winds will be shunted away by a cold front on Fri. We’ll see some new short range S swell from that source, improving in quality as the trough forms a low and moves away from the coast. We’ve also got some sources of E’ly swell on the radar which will keep surf zones active. 

In the short run N’ly winds tomorrow in the mod/fresh range will supply some NE windswell to 2 occ. 3ft. 

That size should hold into Fri morning with winds from the NW shifting W through SW as a front pushes through, offering a window of clean conditions. 

NE winds off the top of the high extending through the Tasman and sources near the North Island should hold some small NE swell through Sat in the 2ft range under offshore winds. 

Near and far range sources of NE-E/NE swell

A front and low passing to the south on Sun will see winds shift SW through S/SW-S with small leftovers from the NE to 1-2ft. We may see some new S swell late on Sun- with Mon a better bet.

Expect S swell to 2-3ft on Mon, as a low forms off the NSW coast and the front passes to the East. 

Another front and small trough forming in Bass Strait is expected Tues with a S’ly change and new S swell. 

S pulses from the passing front and low look to keep surf active through Wed and into Thurs.

Swells then ease as high pressure drifts NE of the state. 

We’ll see how it looks on Fri. 

Seeya then.