And it would probably be happily returned after snow, flood warnings, gale force winds and plenty of rain lashed the state just 22 days out from Christmas.

Up to 40cm of snow fell in the Tasmanian Highlands yesterday cutting off inhabitants from power and the outside world.

Further afield, more than 2500 homes had been hit by electricity outages by yesterday afternoon.

The worst-hit areas included: the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, south of Hobart; Rokeby and Sandford on the Eastern Shore; and communities around Fern Tree.

Lack of power wasn’t a concern to the snowed-in guests at the Great Lakes Hotel in Miena where owner and operator Kaylee Hattinger was keeping them entertained.

THE pool table was in full swing and stomachs fed via a gas stove when the Mercury called.

“We had four days of plus 25C weather this week, then flooding rains and now snow. We love the highlands,” Ms Hattinger said.

“It’s a good eight inches out there.”

Below 1100m there was no snow, but plenty of water, which forced a slew of events such as the Festival of Smiles to be cancelled.

The State Emergency Service responded to more than 50 call outs in the South with sandbagging the major ­requirement.

“In one day that’s quite a lot requests,” Southern region manager Mark Nelson said from an operations centre in Hobart.

“It’s all water inundation from the excess rain, however no properties are flooded holus-bolus.”

The SES also responded to trees down and a blown over shed but mainly it was “a lot sandbagging”.

Calls came from New Norfolk, Kingston, Taroona, Hobart, Sorell, up to Swansea and down the Tasman ­Peninsula.

“It’s been across the board,” Mr Nelson said.

Motorists were warned to be vigilant with water over roads and a small rock slide on Nicholls Rivulet Rd, halfway between Oyster Cove and Nicholls Rivulet.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued flood warnings for the Derwent, Clyde, Macquarie, Jordan, North and South Esk, and Coal rivers.

Minor flooding was possible in the Jordan River at Mauriceton, west of Kempton, early last night.

Minor flooding was also likely along the River Clyde by today.

Strong river rises were forecast in other parts of the River Derwent and at Ouse.

However, flooding was not expected to extend downstream to Macquarie Plains and New Norfolk.

“Strong and dangerous flows may be a hazard throughout the [Jordan and River Derwent] catchments over the next few days,” the BOM said.

Heavy rain was recorded across much of eastern Tasmania, with 102mm at Pyengana in the northeast, 84mm at Friendly Beaches, and 71mm at Bicheno.

The three-day rainfall ­totals ranged from 30 to 40mm in the West to 70 to more than 100mm in the East. Further rainfall of 20 to 40mm was expected about the East and South East ­yesterday.

The low pressure system east of Tasmania, responsible for the rain, was on the move. It was expected to gradually contract to the southeast and ease overnight.

Wind gusts of about 100km/h were recorded in the East and South East but would also ease as the low ­departed. The wind peaked on Maria Island at 115km/h and Mt Wellington at 122km/h.

Conditions today and ­tomorrow were due to ease but more rain event threat­ened to hit midweek with a low pressure system passing near eastern Tasmania