Wintry blast to chill southeast Aust

The ski season will get a belated start with snowfalls expected to hit alpine regions as a series of cold fronts crosses the nation's southeast.

Southeastern Australia is expecting its best snowfalls of the season so far as an Antarctic blast hits the region.

A series of cold fronts associated with an intense low pressure system will chill Victoria, NSW and Tasmania from Friday right through the weekend, sending night temperatures to near or below 0C and bringing snow to wide areas of Victoria and NSW.

Bureau of Meteorology NSW regional director Barry Hanstrum says the first cold front will begin to cross the south on Friday, with a follow-up front later Saturday.

Snow is expected down to 700 metres by Sunday morning in Victoria, meaning the Dandenong Ranges and the central highlands are likely to get falls along with alpine areas.

In NSW, snow will creep up the Great Dividing Range almost to the Queensland border.

Rain is likely in virtually all parts of all three states over the next three days, bringing some relief for drought-affected farmers in northern and western Victoria and inland NSW.