Guyra
Snowfalls
Above: Bradley Street on 12 October 2012
during an unusually heavy spring snowstorm.
Image by australiasevereweather.com
This is a brief summary of every Guyra
snowfall from 2006. Details of the unusually heavy snowfalls in July 1984 have
also been included.
The number in brackets after the date gives the approximate depth of snow
on the ground in centimetres. Zero means snow did not
settle. This indication of snow depth applies to open ground and not drifts of
snow against fences, walls or other objects.
Definitions of terms used:
Snow
- snowflakes in the form of ice crystals, most of which are branched,
sometimes star shaped.
Sleet
- rain and snowflakes falling together.
Sago snow - small
transparent ice pellets less than 5 mm in diameter, similar to soft hail. Often incorrectly referred to as sleet.
Soft hail or snow pellets - white opaque round or conical pellets
of ice, 2 to 5 mm in diameter.
Often incorrectly
referred to as sleet.
Wind chill temperature - an estimate of how cold exposed skin feels in
cold, windy conditions.
3rd-4th
July 1984 (20-30)
Without a doubt the spectacular snowfalls
in the New England region on Tuesday the 3rd & Wednesday 4th July 1984 were
the heaviest and most prolonged for many years. Some older residents claimed
they were the best for at least 50 years.
An intense cold front pushed up from the south-west passing through the region
at around 9am on Tuesday 3rd July bringing in its wake very cold air and
sub-zero temperatures. Guyra's maximum temperature on
Tuesday was -0.3C, and the maximum on Wednesday was 0.5C. These were record low
maximums. The minimums were -3.0C and -6.0C respectively. The snow started at around
8am on Tuesday and continued without stopping until the following evening with
the temperature remaining below zero for this whole time allowing snow to
settle and quickly build up to a depth of several centimetres,
particularly overnight on Tuesday. The snow was deep on the ground on Wednesday
morning (exact depth unknown). The New England Highway was blocked south at the
Devil's Pinch and several other locations north between Guyra
and Glen Innes. The railway line was also blocked north of Dumaresq. The
outbreak was so intense that snowfalls extended over the border into south-east
Queensland with snow falling in Toowoomba for the first time in 25 years.
Because of the depth of snow, council graders were used to clear some of Guyra’s streets to allow movement of snowbound traffic
around the town.
4th
August 2006 (1)
Snow fell with large flakes around 3cm in size from
5.15 to 5.45pm and settled briefly on the ground to give a light cover, but
melted about two hours later.
7th
September 2006 (0)
6am to 10.30am -
Intermittent light snow fell, but did not settle on the ground.
16th November 2006 (1)
A severe cold front
passed through northern New South Wales producing light and moderate snowfalls
from early in the morning until 1pm, but only settled to give a patchy cover on
the ground. Two further moderate snow showers at 1pm and 2pm settled briefly
before melting soon after.
The maximum temperature for the day was just 8.2C which was the lowest for
November for 20 years. The minimum of -1.6C was a new record low for November
(previous lowest -1.1C on 12th & 13th November 1965), but this was broken
the following morning, the 17th, with a minimum of -2.6C and a moderate frost
caused by the very cold air following the front.
8th-9th June 2007 (5)
On the 8th showers of sago snow (soft hail) fell in the late afternoon and
evening. Heavier snow fell between midnight and 4am on the 9th. Snow lay on the
ground up to 5 cms deep in places until mid morning on the 9th when it melted off. Maximum
temperature on the 8th was 5.0C, and minimum on the 9th was -1.0C.
Photographs of this event by
Australian Severe Weather: 8th
June & 9th
June.
19th-20th
June 2007 (2)
Snow fell overnight
and in the early hours of the morning (11.30pm to 1am approx)
settling on the ground to a depth of 2 cms with a
light cover remaining on the ground at 9am. It was Guyra’s
coldest day for 9 years with a minimum temperature of -5.0C and a maximum of
only 2.6C.
27th-28th June 2007 (3)
Snow started
falling in the evening of the 27th with moderate falls through the early hours
of the 28th. In the morning snow was 3 cms deep on
the ground aided by a brief heavy fall at 9am with lighter intermittent falls
throughout the day until sunset. Snow remained on the ground until around mid afternoon. It was extremely cold with the wind chill
temperature at 3pm being around -9C. The maximum temperature to 3pm was just
1.8C, although the official top for the day was 3.8C as measured at 9am on the
29th.
Photographs of this event on 28th June by Australian Severe Weather here.
8th-10th
July 2007 (8)
8th - Snow showers fell
throughout the day from 8.30am with the heaviest falls around 3pm, and 6 to 7pm
after which snow lay on the ground about 8 cms deep.
Maximum temperature was 4.1C.
9th - Snow fell briefly from 8.30 to 9am settling about 1 cm
on the ground.
10th - Light intermittent snow fell throughout the day but did not settle.
Photographs of this event on 8th July by Australian Severe Weather here.
17th-18th May 2008 (7)
A strong cold front brought early season snowfalls with moderate snow falling
from around 9.30pm to 11pm in the evening of the 17th. There were lighter falls
at around 9am on the 18th. Snow was 7 cms deep on the
ground at 9am, but had mostly melted by 12noon. Maximum temperature on the 18th
was 5.9C, the coldest May maximum for eight years. Strong westerly winds during
the day kept wind chill temperatures around -5C to -10C.
Photographs of this event by
Australian Severe Weather: 17th
May & 18th
May.
9th July 2008 (8)
A strong cold front and upper level cold pool passed through the region
bringing light snow showers in the morning, and heavier snow showers in the
afternoon from around 2.30 to 6pm. By late afternoon snow was 8 cms deep on the ground where it remained until late the
following morning when it melted. Maximum temperature on the 9th was just 1.8C
which was the lowest for any month since August 1996. Snowfalls on 9th July
2008 were widespread on the Northern Tablelands with falls from Hanging Rock in
the south to Tenterfield in the north.
27th-28th July 2008 (3)
A pool of cold air from the south swept over the Northern Tablelands in the
afternoon of the 27th July. Showers of snow and sago (soft hail) commenced at
3pm and lasted until around 9pm settling on the ground to a depth of about 3 cms. There were more snow showers, mostly sago, around the
middle of the following day, the 28th. The maximum temperature on the 28th was
4.2C. In this event snowfalls extended north over the border into southern
Queensland where the Stanthorpe area had light
settling falls.
Photographs of
this event on 28th July by Australian Severe Weather here.
5th-6th August 2008 (1)
A cold change brought a brief blast of cold air in the late evening of 5th
August with light snow falling overnight and early in the morning of the 6th.
At 9am on the 6th there was a light patchy cover of snow on the ground which
melted soon after.
A further cold change in the evening of 7th August brought very light snow to
the Ben Lomond area, but no snow was observed in Guyra.
23rd August 2008 (2)
A cold front passed through the region in the evening of the 22nd August with
strong winds and low temperatures. It snowed in the early hours of the morning
starting at or just after midnight, and settled on the ground to a depth of
about 2 cms. The snow was still on the ground at 7am
but melted quickly under early morning sunshine. This system also delivered
settling snow to Walcha and further south at Hanging
Rock.
22nd October 2008 (0)
A severe cold front passed through in the afternoon plunging the temperature
from 12C at 3pm to around 3C at 4pm. Snow fell from 4.00 to 4.25pm in large wet
flakes which did not settle on the ground. There were further light snowfalls
in the evening.
10th
June 2009 (0)
A severe cold front passing
through the north of the state produced a light snow shower at 8.45am which
lasted about 15 minutes. Later at around 10am there were light snowflakes mixed
with rain (sleet) for a brief period. The maximum temperature for the day was
5.7C with a 3pm wind chill temperature of -10C as a result of strong 46 km per
hour westerly winds.
15th
July 2009 (7)
As very cold air moved over the Northern Tablelands snow showers developed in
the afternoon and evening. The heaviest fall was from 7.00 to 7.30pm with large
flakes settling on the ground to a depth of around 5 to 7 cms.
Snow remained on the ground until soon after dawn the following morning when it
melted rapidly. Cold showery weather on the 16th kept the temperature down to a
maximum of 4.7C with a 3pm wind chill temperature of -9C. There was no snow on
the 16th apart from a little sleet.
Photographs of this event by
Australian Severe Weather: 15th
July & 16th
July.
3rd
July 2010 (1)
From
approximately 7am to 9am there were light snow showers which settled briefly to
give a very patchy cover, but melted soon after 9am. Minimum for the day was
-0.6, maximum 5.9C.
2nd
August 2010 (1)
A fast moving cold change with strong wind gusts passed through the Northern
Tablelands in the early hours of the morning bringing snow showers to the Guyra region between 3am and 6am. Snow settled on the
ground to a depth of about one centimetre, but melted
soon after 9am. Further light snow fell in the evening between 8 and 10pm with
snow settling to a depth of around one centimetre. It
melted a few hours later. It was a bitterly cold day on the 2nd with an
overnight minimum of -1.6C and maximum 5.9C. The 3pm wind chill temperature in
a 40 km per hour wind was -9C.
12th
August 2010 (0)
Strong westerly winds following a cold front brought showers, sleet and snow
during the day. There were several light snow showers
up until around 3pm interspersed with rain and sleet showers. The snow did not
settle. The maximum temperature was just 3.5C, and the gusty winds made it very
unpleasant to be outside. The wind chill temperature throughout the day varied
between -10C and -15C. The average wind speed at 3pm was 57 km per hour.
Photographs of this event by Australian Severe Weather here.
26th
August 2010 (0)
A cold front brought very strong winds and rain showers with a few brief snow
showers in the early morning. The snow did not settle. The maximum temperature
was 6.3C, however with wind speeds exceeding 60 km per
hour, the wind chill temperature was around -14C to -16C for most of the day.
16th
October 2010 (0)
A severe cold front swept through the region with rain, galeforce
winds and snow. Snow fell in showers from 6.30am to 10am, but did not settle on
the ground. Strong winds and low temperatures made it very uncomfortable
outdoors. The temperature at 3pm of 6.1C combined with a 78 km per hour wind
produced a wind chill temperature of -12C. The maximum of 6.8C was the lowest
for the month of October on record (36 years of records). The previous lowest
was 7.2C on Oct 6th, 1983. Dry air following the front dropped the temperature
to -1.7C the following morning with a frost. Total rain from this event was
38.0 mm.
19th
July 2011 (1)
An upper
level pool of cold air moved over the Northern Tablelands during the morning generating
showers of soft hail which partly whitened the ground, and a moderate shower of
snow from 2.55 to 3.30pm along with very strong winds. The snow settled briefly
on the ground. The maximum temperature was 4.8C, and the wind chill temperature
at 3pm was around -11C in the strong south-westerly wind.
9th
August 2011 (1)
An upper
level pool of cold air over northern New South Wales brought cold icy
conditions to the Guyra region. There were one or two
very light snowfalls during the early hours of the morning, but only settled on
the ground to a minor extent. There were several showers of soft hail during
the day up until around lunchtime. Maximum temperature was 6.7C, 3pm wind chill
temperature was -5C.
18th
August 2011 (0)
A severe
cold front brought windy and icy conditions during the day. From around 10am to
1.30pm there were several showers of soft hail, and from 1.30 to 2.30pm there
were snow showers interspersed with rain. The hail partially whitened the
ground, but the snow did not settle. The maximum temperature was 6.6C, and the
wind chill temperature at 3pm was around -8C in the strong westerly wind.
9th-10th
September 2011 (2)
A few light showers of soft hail/sago snow occurred during the day of the 9th,
along with rain. In the early hours of the 10th there were several snow showers
which left a light cover on the ground 1 to 2 cm deep. These snow showers
occurred from approximately 1am to 6am, with some very fine snowflakes falling
until around 9am. This was the heaviest snowfall in 2011. Maximum temperate on
the 9th: 8.1C. Minimum on the 10th: -1.1C. Maximum on the 10th: 6.2C. The wind
chill temperature at 3pm on the 10th was -5C. Total rain and melted hail/snow
from this event: 22.2 mm. A surface trough and upper level cold pool were responsible
for this event.
Photographs of this event by Australian Severe Weather here.
1st
October 2011 (0)
As a trough passed through the tablelands, it
brought thunderstorms, showers and low temperatures. There were several showers
of small hail, and a light shower of snow at around 6pm which did not settle.
The heaviest of the hail showers just after 3pm whitened the ground.
5th
June 2012 (0)
An
upper level pool of cold air passed over the Northern Tablelands bringing light
snowfalls to the higher areas including Guyra, Black
Mountain and Ben Lomond. These falls were intermittent and light, and did not
settle on the ground apart from a brief shower of sago snow at around 4pm.
Maximum temperature was just 3.1C with wind chill temperatures well below zero
throughout the day. This was Guyra’s coldest day
since 9th July 2008 (1.8C).
28th
July 2012 (1)
Light showers of snow fell in Guyra early in
the morning. It started around 6am and snowed intermittently until just before
9am. There was a very light cover on the ground at 6.30am. A surface trough and
upper level cold air brought the unexpected snow. The maximum temperature for
the day was 6.3C with the wind chill keeping the temperature around 1C or less.
1st
August 2012 (1)
An upper level pool of cold air over
the eastern half of New South Wales contributed to some unexpected snowfalls
around Black Mountain and Guyra in the evening. A
series of four showers moved across the Northern Tablelands from the south-west
between Armidale and Guyra between around 9.30 and
10.30pm. With surface temperatures between 1 and 3 degrees the showers arrived
as snow settling on the ground to some extent around Black Mountain and to a
lesser extent in Guyra. The sky cleared at around
11pm allowing the temperature to drop well below freezing which resulted in a
combination of frost and snow on the ground in Guyra
the following morning, 2nd August. Because of ice and snow on the road the New
England Highway at the Devil’s Pinch south of Guyra
was closed overnight from around 11pm to 9am. This was an unusual event with
snow followed by clear skies and severe frost. Also the showers were confined
to a very localized area. Guyra’s
minimum temperature on 2nd August was -4.6C.
12th
October 2012 (10)
A cold snap brought moderate to heavy
snowfalls to Guyra and surrounding areas with snow
falling from shortly after midnight intermittently through to 9.30am The
heaviest falls were between around 4am and 9am. At 9am the snow was around 10 cms deep on the ground before it gradually started to melt
at around 11am.
Temperatures were very low during the day with a maximum of just 4.0 C. Strong
westerly winds made it feel much colder with a 3pm wind chill temperature of
-8C. This was Guyra’s coldest October day on record
(38 years of records). The previous lowest was 7.2C on 6th October 1983. It was
claimed by many residents to be the heaviest Guyra
snowfall for at least 20 years. Temperatures were low enough to allow some of
the larger ‘snowpersons’ in a number of front yards to survive overnight into
the following day.
The snowy conditions were caused by cold surface
temperatures following the passage of a trough, enhanced by an upper level cold
pool, and moisture being added to the system by a low pressure system off the
NSW coast. It also snowed in Tenterfield along with a
few light falls in southern Queensland around Stanthorpe.
Photographs of this event by Australian Severe Weather here.
25th
June 2013 (1)
Low temperatures, showers and snow occurred along the Northern Tablelands
during the morning. An upper level cold pool combined with showers being pushed
northwards from a low pressure system near Sydney produced the very cold
conditions. Light snow fell and settled on the ground in the Guyra/Black Mountain/Ben Lomond area, and further east
around Ebor. In Guyra the snow started at around 3am,
lasting for about two hours and settling on the ground about a centimetre deep. Most of it had melted by 9am. There were a
few very light showers of snow mixed with rain (sleet) during the morning. The
maximum temperature was 4.1C with the 3pm temp at 2.6C.
Photographs of this event by Australian Severe Weather here.
3rd-4th
May 2014 (0)
Temperatures plunged to mid-winter levels on the 3rd as a severe cold
front passed through northern New South Wales bringing showers, strong winds,
low temperatures and some light snowfalls to higher parts of the Northern
Tablelands. The Guyra/Black Mountain/Ben Lomond areas
all received a few light snow and sleet showers.
In Guyra there were a few light snow showers in the
evening of the 3rd and early in the morning of the 4th, but barely settled on
the ground. Maximum temperature on the 3rd was just 4.6C, but the strong winds
caused the wind chill temperature to be around -5C to -10C for most of the day.
Minimum on the 4th was -1.1C, maximum on the 4th was 4.1C - coldest May day since 30th May 2000 (3.5C).
Photographs of this event by Australian Severe Weather: 3rd
May & 4th
May.
30th
June 2014 (1)
An upper
level cold pool combined with moist surface westerly winds generated snow
showers over the higher parts of the Northern Tablelands. In Guyra light snow fell in the early hours with a patchy
cover on the ground until around 9am when it melted. There were further brief
snow showers between 10am and noon, but did not settle. Conditions were very
cold during the day with a maximum of just 3.8C and a 3pm wind chill
temperature of -4C in the south-westerly winds. Light snow also fell around
Black Mountain and Ben Lomond.
18th
July 2014 (3)
As
an intense cold front swept through New South Wales in the early hours, snow
fell in a wide area of the Northern Tablelands including Niangala,
Walcha, Uralla, Armidale,
Ebor and Ben Lomond. In Guyra there were early
morning snow showers with snow settling about 3 cms
deep on the ground at 9am. It had melted by 12 noon. Winds during the day were
very cold south-westerlies. The maximum temperature was just 2.5C, but the wind
chill temperature remained between -6C and -10C throughout the day in the
strong winds. This was Guyra’s coldest day since 9th
July 2008 (1.8C max).
3rd
September 2014 (1)
A cold front passed through the
Northern Tablelands during the afternoon of the 2nd with strong gusty winds and
several showers of soft hail (sometimes referred to as sleet or sago snow)
during the afternoon and evening. In the early hours of the 3rd there were
light snow showers with a patchy cover on the ground at sunrise. It melted soon
after 9am. Light snow also fell around Ben Lomond, Black Mountain and Ebor with
heavier falls further south around Hanging Rock.
5th
June 2015 (0)
A
cold snap brought low temperatures and light snow to the Guyra
Area. During a light shower of rain at around 12.30pm large snowfakes
fell for about 20 minutes but did not settle on the ground. Snow and rain mixed
is normally referred to as “sleet.” A trough moving through eastern New South
Wales combined with an upper level pool of cold air was responsible for the low
temperatures and snow. The maximum temperature for the day was 6.2C.
12th-13th
July 2015 (8)
A severe cold front combined with a large upper level cold pool passed
through the region early in the morning of the 12th with snowfalls to the Guyra area. Snow settled on the ground in the morning, and
there were further snow showers during the day. The maximum temperature of just
2.9C combined with strong westerly winds made it bitterly cold to be outside.
However many snow sightseers travelled to the area to witness and play in the
snow.
On the 13th further snow fell in the early hours and through the morning. Snow
settled on the ground to a depth of around 8 centimetres.
It was another icy cold day with a minimum of -3.5C up a maximum of 2.8C.
Photographs of this event by Australian Severe Weather here.
16th-17th
July 2015 (3)
In a second major snow event for the month, an upper level trough and cold pool moved
through eastern New South Wales on the 16th bringing very low temperatures and widespread
snowfalls to the Central Tablelands, Northern Tablelands and over the border
into southern Queensland including Stanthorpe and
Cunningham’s Gap. The snow started late in the evening of the 16th and
continued through till mid-morning on the 17th.
In Guyra snow was around 3 centimetres
deep on the ground in the early morning on Friday, but had mostly melted by the
afternoon. The maximum temperature for the day was 3.5C, with wind chill
temperatures below -5C in the icy westerly winds.
6th August 2015 (1)
Light snow showers fell over the higher parts
of the Northern Tablelands in the early hours of the morning, including Guyra, Black Mountain and Ebor. In Guyra
there was a patchy cover of snow on the ground at dawn which had melted by
about 9am. The maximum temperature for the day was 6.5C. A cold front which
passed through the region overnight brought the cold snowy conditions.
24th
June 2016 (1)
A
severe cold front passed through the Northern Tablelands in the afternoon with
strong winds and showers. Very cold air following the front brought light snow
showers to higher parts of the region in the evening. In Guyra
there was a light fall of snow around 9pm which remained on the ground well
into the following morning. Temperatures on the 25th: minimum -3.0C, maximum
5.0C.
27th
June 2016 (5)
Very cold air associated with a low pressure trough and upper level cold air
brought snowfalls and low temperatures to the Guyra
area. After a few light snow showers during the day, the best falls came in the
evening from around 6pm with snow settling on the ground to a depth of around 5
cms.The snow remained on the ground overnight and
into the following morning. It was Guyra’s coldest
day for 18 years with a maximum temperature of just 2.2C, lowest since 31st
July 1998 (2.0C).
Photographs of this event by
Australian Severe Weather: 27th
June & 28th
June.
5th-6th July 2016 (2)
Cold air following the passage of a cold front
on the 5th brought light snow showers to the Guyra
area in the late evening and following morning with a very light cover on the
ground on the 6th. There were further light snow showers through the day which
was also a day of strong winds and low wind chill temperatures. Maximum wind
gust was 63 km per hour at 10.43am, measured in South Guyra.
The maximum temperature on the 6th was just 3.1C, but the wind chill
temperature for most of the day was between -1C and -5C. Light snowfalls also
occurred around Ben Lomond and Black Mountain.
18th
June 2018 (4)
Light to
moderate snow fell from around 3am to 10am with snow settled on the ground to a
depth of about 4 cms at 9am, but had melted by around
10am. The minimum temperature was -1.3C and the maximum was only 3.6C at
12.45pm, although in the strong winds the wind chill temperature was around -3
to -5 degrees for much of the day. The cold snap and snow was caused by upper
level cold air, and showers being forced onto the Northern Tablelands from a
deep southerly airflow onto the New South Wales coast.
7th
July 2018 (0)
As
a fast moving cold front passed through north-east New South Wales snow showers
occurred on the higher parts of the Northern Tablelands. Light snow fell in Guyra at 8pm for about five minutes, but did not settle on
the ground.
4th
June 2019 (6)
Cold
southerly winds combined with an upper level pool of cold air resulted in
snowfalls over the Northern Tablelands in the early hours of the morning. Snow
started falling in Guyra after midnight and there was a 6 cm cover on the
ground at 8am. Light snow showers continued through the morning until around
11am. Snow on the ground melted slowly from 9am and was gone by around midday.
The minimum temperature for the day was -1.9C with a maximum of just 5.0C.
10th-11th
August 2019 (3), (6)
Very
cold surface air following the passage of cold fronts on Friday 9th and
Saturday 10th combining with upper level cold air produced snow over the
Central and Northern Tablelands on the weekend.
In Guyra light snow started in the late evening of the 10th and became heavier
in the early hours of the 11th with snow settling on the ground to a depth of 3
to 4 cms. It remained on the ground, melting by 11am.
The second fall for the weekend started at 8.30pm on Sunday 11th, lasting for
about an hour with snow settling to a depth of around 6 cms.
It was still on the ground the following morning Monday 12th, but had mostly
melted by 10am.
The
maximum temperature on the 11th was just 5.4C, but strong westerly winds
gusting to over 60 km per hour during the day caused the wind chill temperature
to remain well below zero. The total weekend rainfall was 3.4 mm of melted
snow.
9th
September 2019 (0)
Light
snow showers or flurries fell from 3.30 to 4.30pm approximately. Snow did not
settle on the ground. The snow showers developed in a cold southerly airstream
in the wake of a cold front which passed through the region on the 7th.
2nd
June 2020 (0)
Snow fell for about an hour from 8.30 to
9.30am but did not settle on the ground. Very cold conditions resulted in light
snowfalls along parts of the Northern Tablelands including Armidale. Cold
south-westerly winds following the passage of a cold front the previous
evening, and an upper level cold pool caused the extreme wintry weather. The
maximum temperature for the day was 5.3C.
22nd June
2020 (0)
Very cold winds combined with an upper level
cold pool following a cold front which passed through eastern New South Wales
on the 21st, resulted in very light snow on the higher parts of the Northern
Tablelands on the evening of the 22nd. Light non-settling snow fell briefly in
the evening at around 9pm in Guyra. Low day temperatures followed on Tuesday
23rd with Guyra recording a maximum of just 3.8C.
13th July 2020
(0)
Very
light snow fell briefly between 5 and 6pm but did not settle on the ground.
Heavier falls occurred further north around Llangothlin
and Ben Lomond. The icy conditions were caused by cold surface westerly winds
generated by a low pressure system over southern New South Wales combining with
upper level cold air. The maximum temperature on the following day the 14th was
5.0C.
9th August
2020 (0)
Light
snow fell briefly at around 7am and 12 noon, and again in the evening. It did
not settle on the ground but the Ben Lomond area received heavier falls which
settled in the evening of the 9th and early morning of the 10th. An upper level
cold pool of air combined with cold surface southerly winds associated with a
low pressure trough produced the snowy conditions. The maximum temperature on
the 9th was 4.4C.
22nd August
2020 (0)
A severe cold front which passed through
north-east New South Wales in the early morning brought showers of small hail
and snow to higher parts of the Northern Tablelands. In Guyra
there were a number of showers of soft hail (often referred to as sago snow or
sleet) throughout the day, however there was only one brief very light shower
of snow at around 12.20pm when the temperature dropped to 0.5C. The maximum for
the day was 6.2C at 11am, however strong westerly winds kept the wind chill
temperature to below zero degrees for most of the day. This was not recorded as
a “snow” day.
9th-11th June
2021 (8)
Low temperatures, strong winds and showers of
rain and snow occurred on the Northern Tablelands after a cold front passed
through the region late on the 8th. A low pressure system associated with the
front developed over southern New South Wales on the 9th which generated cold
west to north-westerly winds over the north of the state. This surface system
combined with upper level cold air caused snow to fall over the higher areas of
the tablelands including Guyra, Black Mountain and Glen Innes on the 9th and
10th.
In Guyra: 9th - light flurries during the day, heavier in the evening with snow
settling on the ground to a depth of about 4cm. Max temp: 4.4C.
10th - light snow showers during the day but not settling. Heavier
snow in the evening between 9pm and around midnight with snow settling to a
depth of 8 to 9 cms. Max temp: 2.5C
Fri 11th - rain and higher temperatures in the early hours of the morning
caused the snow to melt.
20th-21st
July 2021 (4)
A cold front with associated upper level cold air
moved through the Northern Tablelands bringing snow to areas around Walcha and to the Guyra-Black
Mountain-Ben Lomond area. In Guyra snow showers
commenced at around 10pm on the 20th with snow settling on the ground. Further
snow showers occurred through the night and morning of the 21st. At 6am snow
was about 4 cms deep on the ground but gradually
melted later in the morning. Very light snow continued until around 12 noon.
24th-25th
August 2021 (1)
A severe cold front passed through
north-eastern New South Wales in the early hours bringing moderate falls of
rain to the Northern Tablelands and snow in elevated areas. In Guyra rain in
the early morning turned to snow at around 7am, but only settled briefly on the
ground. A moderate snow shower at around 11am, lasting about 30 minutes, also
settled briefly before melting. During the afternoon there were a number of
brief light snow showers, and also small hail (often referred to as sago snow
or sleet). The maximum temperature was 4.4C at 9.50am, but strong winds
throughout the day gusting to 60 km per hour kept the wind chill temperature
well below zero degrees. Rainfall: 33.8 mm for the 4 hours to 9am with a
further 6.0 mm falling during the day.
Further light showers of snow fell in the early morning of the 25th.
14th
September (0)
A
cold front brought chilly showery conditions to the Northern Tablelands. In Guyra there were several very light snow showers during the
day with small flakes, but not settling on the ground.
21st September 2021 (1)
Very
cold air following a severe cold front which moved through north-east New South
Wales late on the 20th produced showers of snow and hail on the higher areas of
the Northern Tablelands. In Guyra there were a several
light snow showers during the morning after 9am with a heavier snow shower at
around 2pm which briefly settled on the ground. At 4pm there was a heavy shower
of small hail (sometimes referred to as sago snow) which lasted for about ten
minutes with 80 per cent of the ground whitened. Maximum temp: 6.5C, rain to
9am on 22nd: 0.4 mm, maximum wind gust: 55 km/hr at
12.45pm.
13th July
2022 (0)
Light
snow fell from around 11.30am for about 20 minutes but did not settle on the
ground. Light showers of sago snow then occurred intermittently until around
5pm. Maximum temperature was 5.1C, but dropped to 1.0C at 11.45am during the
morning snowfall. Cold south-westerly winds combined with upper level cold air
following the passage of a cold front and trough caused the snowy conditions.
23rd August
2022 (4)
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. In Guyra a
ten minute shower of hail at around 6pm was followed by moderate to heavy snow
showers from around 7pm to 8pm easing to intermittent light snow showers for
the remainder of the evening. Snow settled on the ground to a depth of 4 to 6 cms, and was still on the ground the following morning,
melting later in the day. Temperatures hovered around zero to -1C from 7pm
during the snowfalls.
18th May 2024
(0)
A
surface low pressure trough combined with an upper level disturbance generated
clusters of thunderstorms over north-east New South Wales during the afternoon.
Storms passed over Guyra between 3 and 4pm with rain
and hail which whitened the ground. After the storms the temperature dropped to
1.5C with brief flurries of snow which did not settle.
Can
you supply information on any Guyra snowfalls not
listed here?
If so please send the details via the email link below and they will be added
to this archive.
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