MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW - ARMIDALE NSW

AUGUST 2012

August 2012 was a cool, dry and sunny month.

A belt of high pressure across New South Wales for most of the month kept most of the rain-bearing systems to the south of the state with fine sunny conditions prevailing on 21 days.

The rainfall total of 14.6 millimetres was around a third of the long term average with most of the rain (12.6 mm) falling in the evening of the 23rd.
Day temperatures were close to normal, but numerous nights with clear skies allowed minimum temperatures to drop well below normal. There were no notable extremes.

There were 25 frosts which was a highest for the month of August since 1997.
Moderate westerly winds prevailed.

Noteworthy events:
9th to 11th - A cold front which passed through the region on the 9th, and an upper level pool of cold air, brought showers and cold winds along with light snowfalls to some parts of the Northern Tablelands on the 10th and early on the 11th. There was no snow in Armidale or Guyra. Light snow fell in Walcha in the early hours of the 10th, and there were further snow showers south of Walcha late that evening and early on the 11th. At this time snow also fell at Ebor and Point Lookout to the east of Armidale with a light cover on the ground. The maximum temperature in Armidale on the 10th was 9.3C and on the 11th 9.5C.

17th to 18th - A severe cold front, passed through New South Wales on the 17th. An area of upper level cold air along with this front triggered snowfalls over the Central Tablelands but no snow reached Armidale or Guyra. Skies stayed mostly clear with strong westerly winds. The maximum temperature in Armidale on the 18th as the colder air arrived was 11.9C.

23rd - A fast moving cold front passed through the Northern Tablelands in the evening with a band of thunderstorms and showers. Armidale recorded 12.6 mm which was the first fall of more than 1 mm since late July. Armidale airport recorded 17.8 mm.

AUGUST STATISTICS (long term averages in brackets)

Rainfall: 14.6 mm (48.0 mm)

Rain days: 4 (9)
2012 rainfall total Jan to Aug: 405.6 mm (496.2 mm)

Average maximum temp: 14.7 deg (14.1 deg)

Average minimum temp: -1.6 deg (-0.2 deg)

Highest maximum temp: 23.3 deg on the 23rd

Lowest maximum temp: 9.3 deg on the 10th

Highest minimum temp: 9.2 deg on the 24th

Lowest minimum temp: -7.1 deg on the 8th

Fine sunny days: 21 (18)

Ideal weather days: 1 (4)

Days with thunderstorms: 1 (0.6)

Days with frosts: 25 (20) light: 2, moderate: 12, severe: 11

Days with fogs: 1 (2)

Wind direction at 3pm & number of days: W: 23, SW: 3, NW: 2, E: 1, SE: 1, S: 1

Average daily pan evaporation: 2.4 mm (2.1 mm)

Thunderstorm details:

23rd: 7.45-8.45pm - moderate & heavy storms from west
9.30-10.00pm - slight storm from west