MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW - ARMIDALE NSW

JULY 2015

July 2015 was a cold, cloudy month with light falls of rain and snow.
The rainfall total of 33.2 millimetres was 15 mm lower than the average with no daily falls higher than 9 mm.
Temperatures were mostly below the long term average, particularly during a bitterly cold week from the 12th to the 18th when two severe weather systems brought very low temperatures, cloud, showers and snow to the Northern Tablelands. See below for details.
Despite the many cloudy days, frosts were still numerous with frosts on 21 nights.
Winds mostly moderate westerlies.
There were no thunderstorms or hail.

Noteworthy events:

12th/13th - A severe cold front combined with a large upper level cold pool passed through in the early hours of the 12th bringing light snow showers to Armidale. The maximum temperature for the day was 5.7C, but strong westerly winds created wind chill temperatures of well below zero. Snow showers were very light during the day with no snow settling on the ground. The Guyra/Ben Lomond and Walcha areas had heavier falls with snow settling.
On the 13th snow showers in the early morning partly settled on the ground in Armidale, but it was a very patchy cover in the centre of the city. Falls were a little heavier in South Armidale

16th/17th - 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 southern Queensland including Stanthorpe. The snow started in the evening at around 9pm and continued intermittently through the night until around 11am on the 17th.
In Armidale there was a light patchy cover of snow on the ground about a centimetre deep in the morning of the 17th in the centre of the city, however there was a better cover in other parts of the city. The snow melted during the morning. The maximum temperature on the 17th was just 6.0C, but the moderate westerly winds made it feel much colder.

AUGUST 2015 STATISTICS (long term averages in brackets)

Rainfall: 33.2 mm (48.0 mm)

Rain days: 12 (9)
2015 rainfall total Jan to Jul: 348.4 mm (446.5 mm)

Average maximum temp: 11.9 deg (12.5 deg)

Average minimum temp: -0.5 deg (-0.3 deg)

Highest maximum temp: 16.0 deg on the 10th

Lowest maximum temp: 5.7 deg on the 12th

Highest minimum temp: 8.4 deg on the 25th

Lowest minimum temp: -7.1 deg on the 28th

Fine sunny days: 10 (15)

Ideal weather days: 3 (4)

Days with thunderstorms: 0 (0.3)

Days with frosts: 21 (19) light: 5, moderate: 10, severe: 6

Days with fogs: 1 (3)

Wind direction at 3pm & number of days: W: 16, E: 8, SW: 5, NW: 1, SE: 1

Average daily pan evaporation: 1.2 mm (1.4 mm)


July 2015 daily data