Annual Weather Review
Armidale
NSW - 2006
© Compiled and written by Peter Burr, using data recorded at the Bureau of Meteorology weather station at East Armidale. No part of this review may be reproduced for commercial purposes without prior permission from the author.
2006 was a year of below average rain and warmer than normal temperatures. Fine sunny weather prevailed on 202 days.
RAINFALL: Rainfall was below average in all months except March, July and November. It was a dry start to the year but good falls arrived in March after which very dry conditions lasted until November which was the wettest month of the year with 111.2 mm. Drier conditions returned again in December to give a total for the year of 619.2 mm which was 169 mm less than the annual average and was driest year since 1986 which recorded 507 mm). May with just 2.4 mm was the second driest May on record (from 142 years of records).
TEMPERATURES:
Day temperatures were warmer than normal in every month except December. The
greatest increases on the LTA were in February and October. February was the
hottest for 66 years. Overnight temperatures were higher than normal at the
beginning of the year and in September and October, but were cooler than normal
in the autumn and winter months, particularly April, and May which was the
coldest for 49 years. The hottest day of the year was February 3rd with 35.8
degrees, and the coldest was July 10th with -10.8 degrees which was the lowest
for 20 years and the second lowest temperature on record.
WINDS:
Winds were light to moderate in March, September, October and November,
and light in all other months. The year totalled just 4 windy days* (annual
average 19 days). Winds at 3pm were westerly on 105 days, easterly on 88
days, south-westerly on 67 days, south-easterly on 40 days, southerly on 23
days, northwesterly on 20 days, north-easterly on 17 days, and northerly on 3
days.
EVAPORATION: Total for the year was 1155.2 millimetres which was 69 mm less than the LTA. Average daily evaporation for the year was 3.2 mm.
FROSTS: Numerous clear nights during the autumn and winter months produced a higher number of frosts than normal with a total of 117 which was 19 more than the long term average. May was the frostiest month recording 26 frosts which was a record high for that month. There were 30 light frosts, 45 moderate frosts and 42 severe frosts. The first frost was on April 7th which produced a frost-free period of just 177 days over the summer of 2005-06, and the last frost was on November 18th.
FOGS: There were fogs on 36 days which is 4 days more than the annual average. The month with the most fogs was June with 8 fogs. There were 32 early morning fogs, 3 evening fogs and one afternoon fog following the hailstorm on December 21st.
SNOW: The one and only snowfall in 2006 was unusually late in the year on November 16th with large snowflakes falling for about an hour in the morning, but not settling on the ground. This was Armidale’s first November snowfall for 41 years. The annual average is 2.3 days of snow.
THUNDERSTORMS: Thunderstorm activity was a
much higher than normal with February having the most number of storms. There
were thunderstorms on 44 days of the year which is 8 days more than the LTA.
A severe thunderstorm with strong wind gusts and large hailstones struck the
city in the afternoon of the 21st. The storm moved in from the south and cut a
path of destruction through East Armidale from 3.10pm for about 15 minutes with
hailstones as big as golf balls causing widespread damage. A thick layer of ice
remained on the ground causing a shallow fog to develop which remained for over
two hours after the storm. It was estimated that the core of the storm passed
very close to the weather station where 20 millimetres of rain and melted hail
was recorded up to 5.30pm, however due to very strong winds driving hailstones
almost horizontally, the actual amount was probably much higher. Wind gusts
were estimated in excess of 80 kilometres per hour at the height of the storm.
HAIL: Hail fell on 5 days - February 19th (5 mm diameter), June 5th (6 mm diameter), November 8th (5 mm diameter) & 16th (soft hail 3 mm diameter), and a severe hailstorm on December 21st with golf ball size hailstones (40 mm diameter) which caused widespread damage to East Armidale. The annual average is 3.3 hail days.
FLOODS: Minor flooding occurred in Dumaresq Creek on March 31st and December 21st.
LTA - Long Term Average * Windy day - average wind speed higher than 20 kms per hour: 9am to 6pm
Weather Statistics 2006 - Armidale NSW
|
|
JAN |
FEB |
MAR |
APR |
MAY |
JUN |
JUL |
AUG |
SEP |
OCT |
NOV |
DEC |
YEAR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RAINFALL
mm |
72.8 |
67.0 |
93.8 |
22.4 |
2.4 |
38.0 |
53.0 |
21.0 |
40.4 |
33.0 |
111.2 |
64.2 |
619.2 |
|
Long Term Average |
102.7 |
87.8 |
65.7 |
45.5 |
43.6 |
55.4 |
48.5 |
48.0 |
51.7 |
68.5 |
82.0 |
88.4 |
787.8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
RAIN
DAYS |
11 |
16 |
13 |
6 |
2 |
11 |
12 |
9 |
10 |
6 |
16 |
9 |
121 |
|
Long Term Average |
10 |
10 |
10 |
8 |
8 |
10 |
9 |
9 |
8 |
9 |
9 |
10 |
110 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HIGHEST
DAILY RAINFALL mm |
25.0 |
28.2 |
33.4 |
9.0 |
2.0 |
22.2 |
22.2 |
5.6 |
14.8 |
9.6 |
28.4 |
23.2 |
33.4 |
|
Day |
13 |
16 |
31 |
20 |
1 |
11 |
16 |
30 |
28 |
21 |
5 |
22 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AVERAGE
DAILY MAX TEMP deg C |
27.0 |
27.9 |
23.6 |
21.0 |
16.4 |
13.4 |
13.4 |
15.8 |
19.1 |
22.7 |
24.1 |
24.5 |
20.7 |
|
Long Term Average deg C |
26.3 |
25.2 |
23.4 |
20.0 |
16.2 |
13.1 |
12.3 |
13.9 |
17.4 |
20.3 |
22.5 |
25.1 |
19.6 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AVERAGE
DAILY MIN TEMP deg C |
14.6 |
14.0 |
10.8 |
3.8 |
-1.2 |
-1.4 |
-0.9 |
-1.5 |
4.1 |
6.4 |
8.5 |
9.9 |
5.6 |
|
Long Term Average deg C |
12.5 |
12.5 |
10.2 |
6.4 |
3.6 |
0.6 |
-0.3 |
-0.2 |
2.4 |
5.4 |
8.6 |
11.0 |
6.1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AVERAGE
GRASS MIN TEMP deg C |
11.4 |
10.8 |
8.2 |
0.4 |
-4.5 |
-5.0 |
-4.5 |
-5.0 |
0.3 |
2.6 |
5.4 |
6.5 |
2.2 |
|
Long Term Average deg C |
9.1 |
9.9 |
7.5 |
3.5 |
-0.9 |
-3.3 |
-4.0 |
-4.2 |
-1.0 |
2.1 |
5.8 |
7.9 |
2.7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HIGHEST
MAXIMUM TEMP deg C |
33.4 |
35.8 |
28.2 |
25.9 |
19.2 |
15.9 |
17.2 |
22.0 |
26.2 |
28.1 |
31.4 |
30.1 |
35.8 |
|
Day |
3 |
3 |
17 |
19 |
20 |
28 |
30 |
24 |
23 |
15,19 |
26,29 |
19 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LOWEST
MAXIMUM TEMP deg C |
16.4 |
21.2 |
15.4 |
15.5 |
12.6 |
8.2 |
9.6 |
9.8 |
8.3 |
16.3 |
11.2 |
15.3 |
8.2 |
|
Day |
19 |
16 |
4 |
30 |
24 |
11 |
17 |
4 |
7 |
22 |
16 |
26 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
HIGHEST
MINIMUM TEMP deg C |
19.0 |
20.1 |
16.8 |
13.2 |
8.9 |
7.6 |
7.5 |
8.9 |
11.4 |
13.1 |
15.6 |
15.1 |
20.1 |
|
Day |
12 |
4 |
18 |
6 |
1 |
21 |
16 |
30 |
4 |
16 |
27 |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LOWEST
MINIMUM TEMP deg C |
8.5 |
9.0 |
3.5 |
-2.4 |
-7.8 |
-7.6 |
-10.8 |
-6.9 |
-2.0 |
1.2 |
-2.2 |
3.1 |
-10.8 |
|
Day |
29 |
25 |
27 |
9,23 |
30 |
28 |
10 |
20 |
9 |
2 |
17 |
27 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LOWEST
GRASS MIN TEMP deg C |
3.6 |
4.9 |
-0.1 |
-6.6 |
-11.1 |
-11.9 |
-15.3 |
-11.2 |
-5.1 |
-3.0 |
-6.0 |
-0.5 |
-15.3 |
|
Day |
29 |
25 |
27 |
9 |
30 |
16 |
10 |
20 |
9.0 |
10 |
17 |
18 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FROSTS |
0 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
26 |
20 |
20 |
24 |
10 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
117 |
|
Long Term Average days |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
12 |
17 |
19 |
20 |
15 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
98 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FOGS
days |
1 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
7 |
8 |
2 |
0 |
7 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
36 |
|
Long Term Average days |
1 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
32 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THUNDERSTORMS
days |
8 |
11 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
8 |
8 |
44 |
|
Long Term Average days |
7 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
8 |
36 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EVAPORATION
(Class A Pan) mm |
138.4 |
126.4 |
98.2 |
80.6 |
54.2 |
32.8 |
36.4 |
66.4 |
91.6 |
136.6 |
142.6 |
151.0 |
1155.2 |
|
Long Term Average mm |
167.2 |
130.7 |
118.8 |
78.3 |
51.6 |
38.5 |
43.1 |
65.8 |
98.2 |
128.9 |
137.2 |
166.1 |
1224.4 |
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AVGE.
DAILY EVAPORATION mm |
4.5 |
4.5 |
3.2 |
2.7 |
1.7 |
1.1 |
1.2 |
2.1 |
3.1 |
4.4 |
4.8 |
4.9 |
3.2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AVERAGE
DAILY WIND RUN km |
104.7 |
97.2 |
124.1 |
92.5 |
87.3 |
87.5 |
92.1 |
106.1 |
134.6 |
133.0 |
132.8 |
109.4 |
108.4 |
|
Long Term Average km |
163.2 |
158.0 |
153.2 |
135.9 |
136.9 |
157.3 |
164.4 |
177.6 |
185.2 |
170.1 |
164.9 |
166.2 |
161.1 |
|
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|
PREVAILING
3PM WIND DIRECTION |
E |
E |
NE |
W |
W |
E |
W |
W |
E |
W |
W |
E |
- |
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
NUMBER
OF FINE DAYS ^ |
15 |
9 |
10 |
21 |
26 |
17 |
14 |
21 |
20 |
18 |
17 |
14 |
202 |
|
Long Term Average days |
16 |
14 |
17 |
17 |
14 |
14 |
16 |
19 |
20 |
19 |
14 |
17 |
196 |
|
|
|
|
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|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
MAXIMUM
TEMP > 29.9 deg. days |
7 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
18 |
|
MAXIMUM
TEMP < 10.0 deg. days |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
|
MINIMUM
TEMP < 5.0 deg. days |
0 |
0 |
2 |
17 |
28 |
26 |
28 |
27 |
16 |
12 |
6 |
4 |
166 |
|
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