The Weather at
Guyra NSW


A compilation of present and past weather at Guyra NSW Australia

Guyra is located on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, elevation 1332 metres

This website has been prepared with information supplied by Jeff Martin, Observer for Bureau of Meteorology at Guyra


Image:  Guyra Golf Course on the morning of 18th May 2008 after moderate
snowfalls the previous evening.  Image by Australian Severe Weather


The town of Guyra is literally at the top of the range on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales with the Great Divide running right through the town itself. The Bureau of Meteorology weather station is located in the grounds of the Guyra Hospital at an elevation of 1332 metres. This station has been in operation since August 1981.
Prior to this the post office operated a weather station from 1911 to 1972 with a number of gaps. Rainfall has been recorded for a longer period starting in 1886 at the post office.
Readings were taken twice daily at the hospital at 9am and 3pm until 1st August 2015 when it was reduced to 9am only.

 

RAINFALL CHART  for your farm/home rainfall recordings. PDF format - printable.


Current Weather Conditions
Present temperature, humidity, wind and rainfall in Guyra here.


Note: This is a privately owned weather station in North Guyra. Data recorded here will vary slightly from the official station at the Guyra Hospital.
Conditions are updated every few minutes through the Weather Underground website. If temperatures are displayed in Farenheit, go to the settings icon in the top right corner of the screen and set to degrees C.

 


Recent Weather
Last three 9am observations from the Bureau weather station at the Guyra Hospital here.


Monthly Data Files
Daily data for this month and the previous 12 months here.


 
Climate Averages

Climate averages and extremes for Guyra Post Office
here.

This set of statistics uses rainfall data from 1886, but temperature data is limited to the period 1911 to 1956 with a few missing years, and 1965 to 1972.

Climate averages and extremes for Guyra Hospital here.
This set of statistics uses rainfall and temperature data from 1981 which means the rainfall averages are not reliable for such a relatively short period. It is recommended that rainfall averages from the post office site be used for greater accuracy.



About Guyra’s Weather

Guyra is the highest town on the Northern Tablelands and as such records the lowest day time temperatures in the region. Overnight temperatures however, particularly in the winter months, are frequently higher than nearby Armidale and Glen Innes. This is because Guyra is at the top of an exposed plateau where the wind may blow all night, whereas Armidale and Glen Innes are in protected valleys where cold air drainage and temperature inversions are common events allowing overnight temperatures to drop to lower levels.

If you want to see snow on the Northern Tablelands, Guyra is the place to be with an average of five snowfalls per year. Most years Guyra manages at least one good snowfall with snow several centimetres deep on the ground, easily enough to build a good sized snow person! During such events the New England Highway is often closed to the north and south of the town for a few hours or maybe a full day.

Guyra's climate can be summed up as mild to warm in summer and cold in winter.

Temperature extremes:
  Highest maximum: 37.8C on 15th January 1939
  Lowest maximum: -0.3C on 3rd July 1984 during heavy snowfalls
  Lowest minimum: -7.8C on 26th June 1971




Guyra Weather News 2024

SEPTEMBER SUMMARY  (Long term average in brackets)
Rainfall:  50.4 mm  (56 mm) on 5 days
Average maximum temp:  17.1C  (15.4C)
Average minimum temp:  4.6C  (3.7C)
Highest:  22.9C on the 1st
Lowest maximum temp:  9.2C on the 27th  
Lowest:  -1.7C on the 17th  
Frosts:  12  (9)
Sunny days:  20  (19)
Days with thunder:  0  (2)
Days with snow: 0  (0.4)
Complete September 2024 data table  (PDF printable)

WARMEST AUGUST FOR 15 YEARS - RECORDS BROKEN - Guyra, along with other regions in New South Wales, experienced unseasonably warm conditions in the second half of August with temperatures reaching 18.0C or higher on 9 days with the highest of 22.0C on the 30th being the warmest for August for 15 years.
The unusually warm end to winter was caused by a number of low pressure troughs and fast moving fronts bringing warm air into New South Wales from central Australia.
The following new August records were created during August 2024:
  Average maximum temperature 15.5C - highest since 2009 when it was 16.2C
  Average minimum 4.8C - highest on record from 91 years of records
  Daily maximum temperature of 22.0C on the 30th - highest since 24th August 2009 when it was 25.2C
  Daily minimum temperature (warmest night) of 14.1C on the 31st - highest on record from 50 years of records. Previous highest 12.6C on 25th August 2009

JULY SNOWFALLS - 15th-17th July -
A deep low pressure system near Tasmania directed cold air from the Southern Ocean into New South Wales from the 15th to the 17th. Upper level cold air combined with this system to produce very low temperatures and snowfalls over the Central Tablelands, Barrington Tops and Northern Tablelands, with some light snow also falling in southern Queensland.
In Guyra light snow fell in the early morning of the 15th with some settling on the ground. On the 16th intermittent snow, moderate to heavy at times, and sago snow (ice pellets) fell throughout the day with little or no settling. On the 17th intermittent small snowflakes fell throughout the day with no settling.
Minimum/Maximum temperatures: 15th: 1.0C/6.1C, 16th: -0.8C/4.6C, 17th: 0.9C/3.8C.
Strong winds on the 16th caused wind chill temperatures to drop as low as -6C during the morning.
The maximum of 3.8C on the 17th was the lowest (coldest day) in Guyra since 10th June 2021 (2.5C).

HAIL AND SNOW - 18th May - 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.

WETTEST APRIL FOR 21 YEARS - With a total of 135 mm, 84 mm higher than the average, it was the wettest April since 2003 which recorded 136 mm. The unusually high rainfall was caused by numerous low pressure troughs developing over inland northern New South Wales during the month.

 



Guyra Weather News 2023

2023 RAINFALL:  845.4 mm, 33 mm lower than the average.

DRIEST SEPTEMBER ON RECORD -
The rainfall total of 2.0 mm was the lowest on record from 135 years of records. The previous lowest was 5.1 mm in 1925. The abnormally dry conditions were caused by a developing El Nino event in the Pacific Ocean, and a number of strong high pressure systems moving across the north of New South Wales confining rain bearing systems to southern and central parts of the state. The dry sunny conditions also promoted warmer than normal day temperatures - see below.

WARMEST SEPTEMBER FOR 10 YEARS -
The average maximum temperature of 19.1C was the highest for the month of September since 2013 (19.3C).

WARMEST AUGUST FOR 14 YEARS -
The average maximum temperature of 15.3C was the highest for the month of August since 2009 16.2C).

 

WARMEST JULY DAY FOR 7 YEARS - 30th July - The maximum temperature of 17.9C was the highest for July since 19th July 2016 when it reached 18.7C which was also the highest on record for July.

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Guyra Weather News 2022


2022 MONTHLY STATISTICS TABLE here.

2022 RAINFALL:
 1,086.6 mm, 210 mm or 24 per cent higher than the average. Rainfall was above average in eight months of the year with 2022 being the third consecutive year with well above average rainfall. (2020: 978 mm, 2021: 1200 mm)

COOLEST DECEMBER FOR 11 YEARS - It was unusually cool for the first month of summer. Maximum temperatures averaged 21.0C , lowest since 2011 (19.1C). The average minimum of 7.0C was the lowest on record for December. Previous lowest was 7.3C in *1924.
(*From 88 years of records. Note there are some gaps in the temperature database prior to 1981.)

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 10.9C. This is 11 degrees lower than the average, and was Guyra’s coolest December day since 6th December 2003 (10.7C).

COLDEST NOVEMBER DAY & NIGHT FOR 16 YEARS - 2nd/3rd November
- The maximum temperature of 9.4C on the 3rd was the lowest for the month of November since 16th November 2006 (8.2C), and the minimum of -1.5C on the 3rd was the lowest for November since 17th November 2006 (-2.6C). 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.

LATE WINTER SNOW -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. 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.

FIRST SNOWFALLS OF THE YEAR -13th July - 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.

COOLEST FEBRUARY FOR 34 YEARS
- With numerous cloudy days and higher than normal rainfall, February 2022 was the coolest February since 1988. Maximum temperatures averaged just 20.3C for the month and temperatures reached 25.0C or higher on only two days.



Guyra Weather News Archive

 

Weather news from previous years here.




Yearly Statistics Tables

   1982  1983  1984  1985  1986  1987  1988  1989

   1990  1991  1992  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999

   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009

   2010  2011  2012  2013  2014  2015  2016  2017  2018  2019

   2020  2021  2022  2023

Graph:  CLIMATE CHANGE AT GUYRA - Average yearly temperatures
since 1982. The dotted line is the 10 year average.
 


Snow Dates

Dates
on which it has snowed in Guyra since 1982, including light non-settling falls.
Annual average 4.6 snow days.

1982:  5 days:  21/6,  22/6,  19/7,  20/7,  30/9
1983:  5 days:  27/6,  8/7,  1/8,  28/8,  6/10
1984:  8 days:  29/6,  30/6,  3/7,  4/7,  5/7,  11/8,  12/8,  19/9
1985:  9 days:  20/5,  21/5,  5/6,  6/6,  21/6,  19/7,  8/8,  2/9,  3/9
1986:  3 days:  23/6,  9/7,  6/8
1987:  3 days:  28/5,  23/7,  1/9
1988:  2 days:  8/8,  20/9
1989:  11 days:  10/6,  11/6,  21/6,  22/6,  24/6,  17/7,  18/7,  23/7,  24/7,  8/8,  26/9
1990:  8 days:  28/6,  2/7,  3/7,  3/8, 10/8,  23/8,  26/8,  22/10
1991:  6 days:  13/6,  10/7,  11/7,  14/7,  24/8,  12/9
1992:  10 days:  11/6,  24/6,  25/6,  26/6,  10/7,  20/7,  8/8,  13/8,  16/9,  29/9
1993:  1 day:   4/8
1994:  8 days:  13/4,  28/6,  30/7,  31/7,  21/8,  21/9,  27/9,  8/10
1995:  4 days:  17/6,  21/6,  19/7,  28/7
1996:  8 days:  12/7,  13/7,  14/7,  15/7,  21/7,  30/7,  19/8,  3/9
1997:  0 days
1998:  5 days:  23/6,  30/6,  29/7,  30/7,  31/7
1999:  3 days:  16/6,  14/8,  15/8
2000:  10 days:  28/5,  29/5,  30/5,  31/5,  1/6,  30/6,  27/7,  28/7,  24/8,  25/8
2001:  4 days:  7/7,  8/7,  26/8,  27/8
2002:  0 days
2003:  2 days:  24/7,  26/7
2004:  6 days:  20/6,  8/7,  17/7,  18/7,  5/8,  18/8
2005:  4 days:  22/6,  23/6,  10/7,  17/9
2006:  3 days:  4/8,  7/9,  16/11
2007:  9 days:  8/6,  9/6,  19/6,  20/6,  27/6,  28/6,  8/7,  9/7,  10/7
2008:  9 days:  17/5,  18/5, 9/7, 27/7, 28/7, 5/8, 6/8, 23/8, 22/10
2009:  2 days:  10/6,  15/7
2010:  5 days:  3/7,  2/8,  12/8,  26/8,  16/10
2011:  5 days:  19/7,  9/8,  18/8,  10/9,  1/10
2012:  4 days:  5/6,  28/7,  1/8,  12/10
2013:  1 day:   25/6
2014:  5 days:  3/5,  4/5,  30/6,  18/7,  3/9
2015:  6 days:  5/6,  12/7,  13/7,  16/7,  17/7,  6/8
2016:  4 days:  24/6,  27/6,  5/7,  6/7
2017:  0 days
2018:  2 days:  18/6,  7/7
2019:  4 days:   4/6,  10/8,  11/8,  9/9
2020:  4 days:   2/6,  22/6,  13/7,  9/8
2021:  9 days:   9/6,  10/6,  11/6,  20/7,  21/7,  24/8,  25/8,  14/9,  21/9
2022:  2 days:   13/7,  23/8
2023:  0 days
2024:  4 days:   18/5,  15/7,  16/7,  17/7
 

Details of Guyra Snowfalls since 2006

Gallery of Northern Tablelands snow photographs 1984 to 2015




The January 1939 Heatwave
During the middle of January 1939 a severe heatwave affected south-east Australia with record high temperatures recorded in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide as well as a number of towns in northern New South Wales.
The following maximum temperatures were recorded in Guyra:
January 10th: 33.9C,  11th: 34.4C,  12th: 33.9C,  13th: 35.0C,  14th: 35.6C,  15th: 37.8C,  16th: 35.6C, 17th: 33.3C.
The maximum of 37.8C on the 15th is the highest on record for Guyra.
On the same day nearby Armidale also recorded its highest temperature on record of 39.7C.




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