The Weather at
Armidale NSW
A compilation of present and past weather at Armidale
NSW Australia
Armidale is
located on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, elevation 987 metres
All information from Bureau of Meteorology weather stations in Armidale
Image:
The frost season is here. This view of Civic Park was taken on
8th August 2005 at 6.30am. The temperature was -7C. Ducks swimming
in the pond kept the water from freezing over.
Armidale Airport: Current temperature and wind
information from the airport HERE.
Note: The airport is 93 metres higher and five kilometres
from the city weather station resulting in slightly different weather
conditions occurring there. Winds are usually around 10 to 15 kms per hour stronger at the airport. Day temps are about
one degree lower, and night and early morning temps can be around two to four
degrees higher at the airport.
Armidale City Weather Station -
click button below for current conditions:
Note: If temperature is shown in degrees F, go to settings icon at top
right of screen and select degrees C.
Latest maximum/minimum temps and 24 hour rainfall, updated daily at 9.30am (refresh page to update)
Yesterday’s max 8 Jun: 17.4C This morning’s min 9
Jun: 7.1C
Rainfall 24 hours to 9am today 9
Jun: 2.8mm
Last
Rain: 8 Jun Next Rain:
13 Jun (based on latest
forecasts, may change)
Armidale Forecast
Guyra Weather
Guyra
weather website
Dam
Levels
Malpas Dam
RAINFALL CHART for your farm/home rainfall recordings in
2023. PDF format - printable.
This Month - June 2023
Total Rainfall up to 9am on 9 June:
4.0
mm (average
55 mm)
This Year - 2023
Total Rainfall up to 9
June: 360.0 mm (Jan-Jun av: 397, annual av: 783 mm)
Highest Daily
Rainfall: 62.2 mm
on 29 Mar
Highest Temperature: 31.6C on 26 Jan
Lowest Temperature: -6.7C on 28 May
Hot Days - Temp 30.0C or higher: 11 (average: 16 days)
Cold Days - Maximum below 10.0C: 0 (average: 15 days)
Cold Mornings with Frosts: 30
(average: 97)
Weather News 2023
(using information from Armidale City weather
station)
MAY RAINFALL:
12.4 mm on
2 days, 30 mm less than the average, and was Armidale’s
driest month since June 2022 (10.2 mm). The rain fell over the two day period
15th-16th. Details in the May 2023 Weather Review. May 2023 daily data
table.
COLDEST MAY MORNING FOR 7 YEARS - 28th May - The minimum of -6.7C which
occurred at 6.50am was the lowest for the month of May since 30th May 2016 when
-7.0C was recorded. The minimum at the Armidale Airport weather station was a
little higher at -3.4C. Such differences between the two weather stations are
common on calm clear nights when temperature inversions develop in the Armidale
valley.
FIRST FROST OF THE YEAR - 4th May - The first
frost for 2023 with a screen minimum of 2.2C
was recorded at 6.50am ending a frost-free period of 134 days since the last
frost on 20th December 2022. The minimum temperature on the grass was -2.4C.
This started a run of eleven consecutive frosts.
APRIL RAINFALL: 31.8 mm on 11 days,
13 mm less than the average. There were no major rain systems during the month, all falls were light except for a moderate fall of
16.2 mm on the 7th. Details in the April 2023 Weather Review. April 2023 daily data table.
MARCH RAINFALL: 165.6 mm on 15 days,
99 mm higher than the average, wettest March since 2017 (201 mm). There were
several moderate and heavy falls including 62.2 mm on the 29th which was the
highest daily fall of rain for three years. Most of the rain for the month fell
during thunderstorms.
Details in the March
2023 Weather Review. March 2023 daily data table.
HEAVIEST RAIN FOR 3 YEARS - 28th/29th March - A low pressure trough over
inland New South Wales intensified during the 28th producing thunderstorms and
areas of heavy rain over the east of the state. Armidale received moderate to
heavy falls in the evening of the 28th and morning of the 29th. The 24 hour
total to 9am on the 29th of 62.2 mm
was the highest daily fall since 18th January 2020.
SUMMER OF 2022/2023 - It was a dry summer with rainfall 103 mm lower than the average, and
temperatures were unusually cool for the first three weeks. Details in the Summer 2022/23 Weather Review.
FEBRUARY RAINFALL: 64.8 mm on 10 days, 23 mm lower than the average. Most of the
daily falls were light with the exception of the 27th when 27.4 mm was recorded
from thunderstorms. February 2023 Weather Review. February
2023 daily data table.
COOLEST FEBRUARY MORNING FOR 18 YEARS - 5th February - The minimum temperature of 3.7C recorded at 5.35am was the lowest
for the month of February since 4th February 2005 when 2.5C was recorded. The
unusually cool overnight conditions were caused by cool dry air being pushed
north over New South Wales by a low pressure system and cold front passing over
southern Australia.
JANUARY RAINFALL: 81.4 mm on 14
days, 20 mm lower than the average. The highest daily falls were 21.8 mm on the
23rd, and 21.0 mm on the 31st.
January
2023 Weather Review. January
2023 daily data table.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Weather News 2022
(using information from Armidale City weather
station)
2022 YEARLY WEATHER REVIEW - 2022 was
the coolest and cloudiest year for 30 years. It was also the third consecutive
year with well above average rainfall with flooding in Dumaresq Creek on 19
days. Details in the 2022 Yearly Weather Review here. Includes
statistics table.
2022 TOTAL RAINFALL: 962.2 mm, 180
mm or 23 per cent higher than the average. Rainfall was above average in eight
months of the year with the wettest month being March which recorded 159.0 mm. 2022 was the third consecutive year with well above
average rainfall (2020: 973 mm, 2021: 992 mm).
DECEMBER RAINFALL: 30.0 mm on 6 days, 59 mm lower than the
average, and was the driest December since 2013 (22 mm). Daily falls were all
light except for 18.8 mm on the 12th. December
2022 Weather Review. December 2022 daily data table.
COOL DECEMBER - It was unusually
cool for the first month of summer. Based on maximum temperatures it was the
coolest December for 11 years, but based on minimums it was the coldest on
record (131 years of records).
COLDEST DECEMBER MORNINGS FOR 9 YEARS - 15th & 20th December - The
minimum temperature on the 15th of 0.4C
recorded at 6.00am, along with a light frost, was the lowest for the month of
December since 7th December 2013 when 0.4C was also recorded. Cold dry air
following two cold fronts being pushed north from the Southern Ocean into New
South Wales resulted in the unusually chilly conditions.
The cool conditions continued for another five days with a second frost and minimum
of 1.0C on the 20th. It is most
unusual for frost level temperatures to occur in the second half of December.
Armidale’s lowest December minimum on record at the current weather station
site was -0.5C on 4th Dec 1987, and also on 7th Dec 2002.
COLDEST DECEMBER DAY FOR 11 YEARS - 1st December - It was an overcast
drizzly day with cool easterly winds which restricted the maximum temperature
to just 14.8C. This is 9 degrees
lower than the average, and was Armidale’s coolest December day since 7th December
2011 (14.0C).
NOVEMBER RAINFALL: 59.4 mm on 9
days, 23 mm lower than the average. The rain all fell in the first 15 days with
the remainder of the month dry except for a light fall on the 28th. Details in the November 2022 Weather Review. November 2022 daily data table.
COLDEST NOVEMBER MORNING FOR 16 YEARS - 17th November - Cold dry southerly
air following a cold front which passed through the region on the 15th caused
the temperature to drop to -0.6C at
5.35am on the 17th. This was the lowest November minimum since 17th November
2006 (-2.2C).
COLDEST NOVEMBER DAY & NIGHT FOR 16 YEARS - 2nd/3rd November - The
maximum temperature of 12.4C on the 2nd was the lowest for the month of
November since 16th November 2006 (11.2C), and the minimum of -0.4C with a
frost on the 3rd, was the lowest for November since 17th November 2006 (-2.2C).
The unseasonally cold conditions were caused by cold
air following a front and trough which passed through eastern New South Wales
on the 1st and 2nd.
HEAVY RAIN & STRONG WINDS - 1st November - A strong cold front moved
through north-eastern New South Wales in the early morning. Strong winds
accompanied the front with gusts to 78 km per hour at Armidale airport between
2.30 and 3.30am, and gusts in excess of 50 km per hour in the Armidale valley.
Heavy rain fell between 3.30 and 4.30am. Rainfall totals for the 24 hours to
9am: Armidale city 39.2 mm, Armidale airport 49.4 mm. The heavy rain caused
moderate to major flooding in Dumaresq Creek.
OCTOBER RAINFALL: 148.0 mm on 18
days, 80 mm higher than the average. It was Armidale’s wettest October since
1972 (157.8 mm). The majority of the rain (108 mm) fell during the 11 day
period 17th to the 27th. Flooding occurred in Dumaresq Creek on four days. The
highest daily fall was 30.4 mm on the 17th. Details in the October 2022 Weather Review. October 2022 daily data table.
THUNDERSTORM, HEAVY RAIN & HAIL - 17th October - A low pressure trough
over eastern New South Wales generated a number of moderate to heavy
thunderstorms along the North Coast and Northern Tablelands. In the
mid-afternoon a large multi-cell thunderstorm developed south of Uralla and
slowly moved north reaching Armidale at 3.50pm with strong wind gusts and heavy
rain. From 4.00 to 4.10pm small and medium hailstones up to 15 mm diameter
fell, whitening the ground. The rain continued until around 4.30pm when the
storm moved away to the north. 30.4 mm of rain and melted hail was recorded at
the East Armidale station over the 40 minute period while the temperature
dropped from 17 degrees to 9 degrees during the height of the storm. Some of
the ice remained on the ground in shaded areas well into the following day
before melting. The heavy rain was confined to the central and eastern parts of
the city with west Armidale recording lighter falls. The Bureau weather station
at Armidale Airport recorded just 0.2 mm from the storm.
SEPTEMBER RAINFALL: 113.8 mm on 14
days, 64 mm higher than the average. It was Armidale’s wettest September since
1998 which recorded 116 mm. The highest
daily fall was 38.4 mm on the 22nd. Details in the September 2022 Weather Review. September 2022 daily data table.
RAIN EVENT - 21st-24th September - A low pressure trough moved through New
South Wales on the 21st and 22nd bringing widespread rain to the east of the
state with moderate to heavy falls on the Northern Tablelands. A second trough
brought further showers on the 23rd and 24th. The rainfall total in Armidale
for the four days ending 9am on the 25th was 59.2 mm. With this amount of rain
falling on already saturated catchments flooding occurred in Dumaresq Creek on
the 22nd, 23rd and 24th.
WINTER 2022 WEATHER REVIEW - Winter 2022 was
cloudy with milder than normal nights and rainfall close to average. Details in
the Winter 2022 Weather Review.
AUGUST RAINFALL: 62.4 mm on 11 days, 14 mm higher
than the average. Most falls were light to moderate with the exception of 27.8
mm on the 5th which caused moderate flooding in Dumaresq Creek. August
2022 Weather Review. August
2022 daily data table.
COLD SNAP - 23rd August - A fast moving severe cold front passed through the
Northern Tablelands bringing strong winds, showers, low temperatures, and snow
to the higher areas in the evening. Snow settled on the ground in Guyra, but there were only a few snowflakes in Armidale.
The temperature dropped to 1.5C at 7.50pm as the front moved through.
JULY RAINFALL: 72.6 mm on 12 days, 26 mm higher
than the average. Most falls were light with the exception of 35.0 mm which
fell on the 6th causing flooding in Dumaresq Creek. Details in the July 2022 Weather Review. July
2022 daily data table.
JUNE RAINFALL: 10.2 mm on 3 days, 45
mm less than the average, driest June since 2001 (4.4 mm). The rain fell on
just 3 days (1st, 4th, 8th) with the remainder of the
month completely dry. Details in the June 2022 Weather Review. June
2022 daily data table.
MAY RAINFALL: 66.4 mm on 15 days, 24 mm higher
than the average. The highest daily fall was 21.6 mm on the
13th. Details in the May 2022 Weather Review. May
2022 daily data table.
STRONG WINDS on 30th May affected large parts of New
South Wales as an intense cold front moved through the state. At Armidale
airport wind gusts exceeded 90 km per hour between 6.25 and 6.40pm as the front
passed through. In the Armidale valley at 6.30pm winds of over 60 km per hour
brought down trees and powerlines causing blackouts to some areas with power
not restored until the following morning.
WARM MAY WEATHER - 15th/16th May - The maximum temperature on 15th May of 23.2C
was the warmest for the month of May since 8th May 2016 (24.8C), and the
minimum temperature on the 16th of 14.1C was the highest for the month
of May since 2nd May 1983 (14.1C). The unusually mild conditions were brought
on by humid air moving from tropical Australia into New South Wales generating
an abundance of cloud trapping heat close to the ground.
APRIL RAINFALL: 30.6 mm on 15 days,
14 mm lower than the average. Light falls were scattered throughout the month
with the highest daily fall being 7.8 mm on the 4th. Details in the April 2022 Weather Review. April
2022 daily data table.
FIRST FROST OF THE YEAR - 21st April - The first
frost for 2022 with a minimum of 1.0C
was recorded at 6.20am ending a frost-free period of 176 days since the last
frost on 26th October 2021. The frost season in Armidale usually runs from
early April to mid October.
MARCH RAINFALL TOTAL: 159.0 mm on 18 days, 93 mm higher
than the average. It was the wettest March since 2017 with minor or moderate
flooding in Dumaresq Creek on five days. The highest daily fall was 32.8 mm on
the 7th. More details in the March 2022 Weather Review. March
2022 daily data table.
SUMMER OF 2021/2022 - It was the coolest summer for ten years with well
above average rainfall and only 18 sunny days. Details in the Summer 2021/22 Weather Review.
FEBRUARY RAINFALL TOTAL: 106.8 mm on
13 days, 19 mm higher than the average. The rain fell in two events - 2nd-6th
(37.6 mm), and 20th-27th (69.2 mm) with two weeks of dry weather in
between. February 2022 Weather Review. February
2022 daily data table.
JANUARY RAINFALL TOTAL: 103.0 mm on
14 days, 2 mm higher than the average. The heaviest falls occurred in the first
16 days with lighter falls during the remainder of the month. Details in the January
2022 Weather Review. January 2022 daily data table.
WET START TO THE NEW YEAR - 1st January - Showers developed over the
Northern Tablelands as a result of humid easterly winds and a low pressure
trough over western New South Wales. A heavy downpour over Armidale dropped 40.6
mm of rain at the city weather station in a little over two hours between
11.40am and 2pm. This was Armidale’s highest daily
fall of rain since 18th January 2020 (61.8 mm). The rain was lighter at the
Armidale airport which recorded 25.6 mm for the same period.
TELEVISION REPORTING OF ARMIDALE’S WEATHER - Since 1st
August 2015 when the Armidale city weather station ceased taking 3pm daily
readings, all three television networks (ABC, NBN, Prime) in their evening
weather reports report the day’s maximum and minimum temperatures from Armidale
airport.
Unfortunately the airport temperatures are not as representative of conditions
in the city due to its higher elevation. Overnight minimums in particular are
often around 2 to 5 degrees colder at the city weather station which is located
in the Armidale valley where temperature inversions are common on calm clear
nights. More details on the reasons for temperatures differences between the
two stations and a list of Armidale’s lowest temperatures
here.
Temperatures recorded at the city weather
station can be accessed from the Bureau of Meteorology after about 9.40am
here:
9am daily
summary - scroll down to Northern Tablelands.
Also here after mid-afternoon: Armidale daily
observation tables.
The previous day’s maximum and the current day’s overnight minimum in the city
are also shown at the top of this page after about 9.30am.
EVAPORATION - How
much water is lost through evaporation every day/month/year from water storages
on farms? During times of low rainfall, water loss through evaporation can be
critical for the survival of pastures, crops and livestock. Evaporation
readings have been taken at the East Armidale weather station since 1983, and
this data has been used to build up a profile for the Armidale area of this
important aspect of the weather. Details here:
Evaporation in
Armidale.
IS ARMIDALE’S CLIMATE BECOMING WARMER?
Go to the bottom of this page for the 128 year Armidale temperature
graph.
SNOW IMAGES - Gallery of snow photographs
taken in various locations on the Northern Tablelands over the last 30 years:
Snow images
1984 to 2015.
EBOR FALLS ICE AND SNOW (Historic
Event) - In July 2007, after several mornings of sub-zero temperatures,
Ebor Falls, 80 kms east of Armidale, partly froze and
a mini snowfield was created by spray at the base of the falls. Photographs of this amazing event here.
Forecast Rainfall
Where
will it fall, when will it fall, and how much is likely to fall?
Click HERE to
access the Bureau of Meteorology's four day rainfall predictions.
This Month’s Daily Data
Click HERE
for daily data for this month compiled by the Bureau of Meteorology. Data is
from the city weather station at East Armidale except for wind and pressure
readings which are from the Armidale Airport weather station.
More detailed daily data can be found below - Armidale Weather - Daily Data
Files.
June in Armidale - what can we expect?
Normal
conditions in June…
The first month of winter is usually cold and dry with mostly light westerly
winds.
Rainfalls
are light and intermittent, days are mostly sunny and cool to cold, rarely
reaching higher than 18 degrees, and overnight temperatures will often drop well
below zero producing the famous New England winter frosts. Residents will often
rise in the mornings to be greeted with white ice-covered lawns and a thick
smoke haze from hundreds of Armidale wood heaters.
The
occasional cold snap may bring cloud and wind, and keep daytime temperatures
below ten degrees. Snow is possible with these events.
Average max temp: 13.2 deg Average min temp: 0.8 deg
Average rainfall: 54.6 mm on 10
days
Average fine sunny days: 13
Average days with thunderstorms:
0.5 Average
frosts: 16
Average hours of sunshine per day: 4.8
Hottest: 24.4 deg on 2nd June
1923 Coldest:
-11.2 deg on 30th June 2010
National
Climate Centre outlook for June 2023:
There are indications that an El Nino event
may develop in late winter 2023 which could mean a dry start to spring. There
is also a medium chance that a positive Indian Ocean Dipole
could develop during the winter which usually means lower than normal rainfall
over much of Australia during the winter and spring months.
Armidale in June 2023 - Rainfall lower than the long term average. Maximum temperatures
higher than the long term average, minimum temperatures close to the long term
average.
Armidale Weather
Weather at Nearby Locations & Links to
Webcams & Automatic Weather Stations (AWS)
DO YOU HAVE ANY
PHOTOGRAPHS OF ARMIDALE'S WEATHER? I'm always on the lookout for good weather
photos for this website. If you have any which you think look good (interesting
clouds, sunsets, hail, frosts, snow, floods etc) in
or around Armidale, please email them to me here.
Information and
statistics in these pages referring to Armidale are sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology
weather station in East Armidale, station number 56037. Some data is also used
from the Bureau’s automatic weather station at Armidale airport, station number
56238.
Feedback or queries: here.
Armidale Yearly
Rainfall 1878-2022
Armidale Yearly Temperatures 1891-2022
The above graph
shows the average (mean of average max and average min) temperature for each
year from 1891 to 2020.
The dotted line is the ten year average which shows periods of warming and
cooling.
Until 1997 temperatures were recorded in Armidale’s
CBD. Temperatures recorded since 1997 at the East Armidale site have been
weighted to be compatible with the earlier recordings.