MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW - ARMIDALE NSW

SEPTEMBER 2014

September 2014 was a sunny, mild and very dry month.

The rainfall total of 17.4 mm was 34 mm below the average was the driest September since 2007 (8.4 mm).
The only rain event of the month which produced any worthwhile rain was on the 25th with showers most of the day totaling 12.4 mm.
Temperatures were mostly close to normal. The first eight days of the month were cold and wintry with warmer spring weather starting on the 9th. There were no notable temperature extremes.
Morning frosts continued throughout the month but most were light.
Prevailing winds were moderate westerlies which is normal for early spring.

Noteworthy events:
2nd - A cold front passed through the Northern Tablelands in the afternoon bringing with it cold gusty westerly winds and showers of rain and hail. In Armidale there was a shower of soft hail (often referred to as sleet) at 2.25pm which lasted a few minutes. The temperature dropped from a maximum of 16.5 deg at 12 noon to 8.9 deg at 3pm. Showers continued into the evening with light snow falling in Guyra in the early hours of the 3rd. There were heavier snowfalls further south around Hanging Rock. Armidale recorded 4.2 mm of rain from this event.

SEPTEMBER 2014 STATISTICS (long term averages in brackets)

Rainfall: 17.4 mm (51.2 mm)

Rain days: 5 (8)
2014 rainfall total Jan to Sep: 332.4 mm (546.5 mm)

Average maximum temp: 18.0 deg (17.7 deg)

Average minimum temp: 2.1 deg (2.5 deg)

Highest maximum temp: 25.4 deg on 30th

Lowest maximum temp: 11.1 deg on the 3rd

Highest minimum temp: 10.1 deg on the 26th

Lowest minimum temp: -5.5 dg on the 19th

Fine sunny days: 19 (20)

Ideal weather days: 2 (3)

Days with thunderstorms: 1 (2)

Days with frosts: 17 (15) light: 13, moderate: 3, severe: 1

Days with fogs: 0 (2)

Wind direction at 3pm & number of days: W: 11, SW: 7, E: 6, NW: 3, S: 2, SE: 1

Average daily pan evaporation: 2.9 mm (3.2 mm)

Thunderstorm details:

5.05pm - slight storm from west