Snow and 43 degree heat are both forecast in Australia during the next 24 hours.

Spring is a season of contrasting weather in Australia, as warm and humid air builds over the tropics and much colder air from the Southern Ocean sweeps over the nation's southern states.

These conflicting air masses will cause a noteworthy range in temperature across the continent during the next 24 hours.

Image: Contrasting air masses affecting Australia on Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018.

A cold front crossing Tasmania today will be followed by a pool of icy Southern Ocean air. Temperature are forecast to drop low enough for snow to fall down to 800m above sea level in southern Tasmania during Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. There won't be much moisture available in the atmosphere when the coldest air reaches Tasmania, so falls are likely to be light. However, some of the state's southern mountains should see a dusting, possibly including Mount Wellington, where the mercury is forecast to reach zero degrees early on Wednesday morning.

While Tasmanians will be rugging up during the next 24 hours, it's going to be a different story for people living in northern areas of WA and the NT.

A stifling air mass will push temperatures into the low to mid forties in the eastern Top End, Pilbara and Kimberley.

In WA, Fitzroy Crossing is forecast to reach 43 degrees on Tuesday afternoon and Marble Bar is tipped to reach 42 degrees. Over the border, the NT's Ngukurr and Woologorang are both forecast to reach 42 degrees and Alice Springs could hit 38 degrees. A few places in northwest Queensland should also exceed 40 degrees on Tuesday.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Australia during October was 46.9 degrees at Port Hedland, WA during 2002. The lowest was minus 12 degrees at Charlotte Pass, NSW in 2006.