Australian Weather

[NorthNSW]

First wintry cold snap of the year currently moving through the southeast quadrant of the country.

Tomorrow, snow is forecast to fall down to 1100m in southern parts of the local region (Mid North Coast), and also down to 1100m on the Northern Tablelands. The town of Guyra (at 1330m ASL) on the Northern Tablelands could possibly have its earliest snow in the year since 1994 (Snow dates toward bottom of page: http://www.weatherarmidale.com/guyra.html). A dusting of snow could possibly fall during Sunday morning above 1100m as well.

A dusting of snow is forecast to fall down to 900m tomorrow about western parts of the Central Tablelands.

The 'snowline' is expected to be higher further south in the state, with the coldest air to be over the central/northern parts. The Southern Tablelands and Snowy Mountains are expecting snow down to 1300m, and the South West Slopes down to 1200m.

 

NSW BOM have a concise explanation of the weather situation:

"A ridge of high pressure over New South Wales is weakening as a strong cold front approaches the western border, with a trough deepening over the western Tasman Sea today. The cold front is expected to reach central parts of the state later today, evolving into a complex low pressure system as it continues eastwards overnight. This system is forecast to bring a significant cold outbreak to the region, accompanied by vigorous winds later on Saturday as the low deepens rapidly offshore. Conditions should ease late on Sunday as the low moves away and the next high pressure ridge extends across from the west."

Edited May 2, 2014 by NorthNSW

[Styx]

Certainly a decent cold change for the first week of May in the mainland states of Victoria and New South Wales, but especially so for New South Wales. There is 10-20cm of snow in the Australian Alps this Sunday, which is not especially rare for an autumn month, but the reports of snow as low as 1200m in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, and extending as far north as the central tablelands ( latitude 32 degrees ) is highly unusual weeks out from the official start of the winter season. It's now winding up as high pressure ridges in from the west.

 

Daily maximum temperatures have been especially low in places too.. The change moved through Adelaide on Friday the 2nd, and Adelaide's high of 12.1C has not been lower on this date or before it since 11.9C was recorded in 1938 ( in April of that year ).

In Sydney, a maximum of 15.7C yesterday has not been lower on or before this date since 1983.

And Canberra was 9.1C yesterday, potentially making it the coldest day so early in the year for over 50 years, but I notice it rose above this earlier this morning.

[NorthNSW]

A collection of snow pics/info from the Central and Northern Tablelands of NSW.

Orange (860m) had snow showers on the western Central Tablelands (as far as I'm aware they were non-settling snow showers in the city itself), with accumulations on the high ground just outside of the city on terrain above approx 950m:

http://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/story/2257029/gallery-oranges-first-snow-of-2014/?cs=103 (29 photos in article's gallery)

About the peak of Mt Canobolas, near Orange (album of photos):
https://www.facebook.com/amandabarnes20/posts/477239219075615

 

Further east there were accumulations on the high ground between Bathurst and Lithgow. See:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/blizz-snow/14090458231/in/set-72157644404840991
https://www.flickr.com/photos/blizz-snow/13907081060/in/set-72157644404840991/

 

(Twitter: SousaEllo)

 

(Facebook: Higgins Storm Chasing)

 

Either non-settling / briefly settling snow showers for higher parts closer to the Blue Mountains, depending on where you were:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/blizz-snow/13915117267/in/set-72157644404840991/

 

 

Guyra (1330m) on the Northern Tablelands had its earliest snow in 20 years. Although less snow fell than expected at Guyra, there were small accumulations mostly around 1cm. Guyra missed out on the heavier precipitation by a matter of just 30kms that would've brought heavier snow. Non-settling / very briefly settling snow showers were reported from other towns to the south on the Northern Tablelands, which are about 300m lower in elevation than Guyra (and therefore while the towns to the south had the more 'bulky' showers, they were sadly just a little too low in elevation to see snow accumulate). Inverell (about 600m) on the far western part of the Northern Tablelands had its coldest day on record this early in the year (66 years of records).
Ben Lomond (near Guyra):

Llangothlin (near Guyra):

(Both photos - Facebook: Northern Rivers Severe Weather Group)

Snow on higher ground about the southern parts of the Northern Tablelands around Hanging Rock:
http://imgur.com/a/bUNlU (6 photos in album)

 

Reasonable snowfall at the Barrington Tops as shown in this video and photo on the far southern end of the northern NSW ranges

 

(Facebook: EWN Alerts New South Wales)

 

Mt Kaputar, an isolated mountain peak, west of the Northern Tablelands also received an accumulation of snow. Images from the Mt Kaputar webcam (which is at 1475m):

 

A bit of snow still remains late this afternoon:

 

Edit: Apologies, I just removed one photo showing a snowcovered road sign. A short time ago, discovered the Bathurst Fire Brigade Facebook page had recycled an old picture from 2011. They didn't mention this on their page, but I thought it was weird that it showed a '32' route shield, because we have changed to alphanumeric routes in NSW since then (that highway is now the 'A32'), so I did more research and discovered its from 2011.

Edited May 4, 2014 by NorthNSW

[Styx]

Edit: Apologies, I just removed one photo showing a snowcovered road sign. A short time ago, discovered the Bathurst Fire Brigade Facebook page had recycled an old picture from 2011. They didn't mention this on their page, but I thought it was weird that it showed a '32' route shield, because we have changed to alphanumeric routes in NSW since then (that highway is now the 'A32'), so I did more research and discovered its from 2011.

 

Have you noticed that a lot of news organisations do this aswell, and often neglect to tell their readership? ABC! I think it may be down to the declining rate of snow events everywhere, so they have to go back to their stock images and pick out something a bit more dramatic to attach to the most recent story.

[NorthNSW]

Have you noticed that a lot of news organisations do this aswell, and often neglect to tell their readership? ABC! I think it may be down to the declining rate of snow events everywhere, so they have to go back to their stock images and pick out something a bit more dramatic to attach to the most recent story.

 

Yep. If they don't blatently state that it's an old stock/file image, sometimes it is obvious when they've used an old pic, but other times it isn't or not immediately noticable. Here's the story that the photo I removed came from (with that picture being shared by other community pages since then...): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=633452046730371&set=a.517080601700850.1073741831.502089933199917&type=1&stream_ref=10

But I discovered later they had recycled it from 2011: https://www.flickr.com/photos/rfsmedia/5855731603/in/photostream/

Luckily I clued onto the road signage not having an alphanumeric route number (photo from 2013 showing alphanumeric route number for same highway: http://expressway.paulrands.com/gallery/roads/nsw/numbered/alphanumeric/a32/02_katoombatocobar/eastbound/images/201309_06_bathurst_durhamst.jpg).

 

The cold front hit land in South Australia around sunrise on May 2nd, with its effects felt from that point onwards. 

Temperature Anomaly Maps:

 

Maximum Temp Anomaly on May 2nd:

 

Min Temp Anomaly on May 3rd:

 

Max Temp Anomaly on May 3rd:

 

Min Temp Anomaly for May 4th:

 

Max Temp Anomaly for May 4th:

As you can see, parts of inland northern NSW and the adjacent northern NSW ranges have had two consecutive days of max temps between 8 to 10 degrees below the May average.

 

The max/min anomaly temps for today (May 5th) won't be available until tomorrow morning or afternoon. I suspect they will show similar(ish) minimum anomalies to May 4th though the maximum anomalies should have eased.

Edited May 5, 2014 by NorthNSW

[NorthNSW]

The max/min anomaly temps for today (May 5th) won't be available until tomorrow morning or afternoon. I suspect they will show similar(ish) minimum anomalies to May 4th though the maximum anomalies should have eased.

Min Temp Anomaly for May 5th:

 

Max Temp Anomaly for May 5th:

 

That area of min temps in excess of 12 degrees below the May min average is approx centred around Moranbah in the 'Coalfields' region of QLD (to the SW of Mackay and to the NW of Rockhampton).

[Styx]

Well that didn't last! After the cold start to May, an equally significant run of anomalously warm days across most of the continent...with stagnant high pressure to the east.  7-10 days of the same to come.

 

23.9C in Hobart today?! Less than 2C off the May record, yet it's mid month. 9C above average...astonishing. 

Edited May 15, 2014 by Styx

[Upgrade]

A lovely week or so here in Melbourne, balmy days of 20-22 and mild nights of 15-17, though last week had some cooler mornings. 

 

Really enjoying this late autumn warmth.  Feels like En Nino may have already arrived. 

[Styx]

Likely to be a high ranking month on historic scale for anomalous heat in Australia, as autumn comes to a close.  Quite widespread, unlikely to break  until months end. Exceptional high daily maximum temps.. a few degrees above average in centre, inland and east that may end up averaging out at all time highs across very large area.  Minimas will end up closer to long term values, drawing the mean temperature back. 

 

 

Heat Wave in Autumn 'Warmest' in Australia Since Over a Century

The month of May has set a new heat wave record in Sydney as beaching weather gets warmer throughout the month. According to reports, authorities have kept outdoor pools open longer than the usual operating hours to accommodate the swimmers.

 

Along with most of south eastern Australia, Sydney is in the middle of an autumn heat wave with a maximum daily temperature of five degrees or more. Weatherzone senior meteorologist Ben Domensino said last week was the warmest for the autumn season.  Most of the region will also experience more or less the same temperatures five degrees higher than the average.

 

Last May 16, Adelaide's temperature of 27.4 degrees was the hottest recorded late into the autumn season while Hobart had 23.9 degrees on May 15. Bureau of Meteorology senior climatologist Blair Trewin said both Adelaide and Hobart had the warmest temperature ever recorded since more than a century ago.

http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/552863/20140519/heat-wave-south-australia-sydney-warmest-autumn.htm

 

Ouch. ^ Not the best news source there, but the most recent report, which covers the basics.  

Edited May 20, 2014 by Styx

[jamesay]

13 days over 20 degrees in a row in Melbourne. Beating the former record for May which was 10 days. Could be several more, too before we are done.

[Weather-history]

[knocker]

Seasonal heat records fall for Sydney with autumn added to the list

 

It’s been another record-breaking season for Sydney, with the exceptionally balmy May all but certain to set record warm temperatures for autumn.

 

With just days to go for the month, the city’s average daily maximum for the March-May period is about 24.5 degrees, comfortably ahead of the previous warmest average for autumn of 24.1 degrees, set in 2006, according to Acacia Pepler, a climatologist at the Bureau of Meteorology.

 

Tuesday's forecast has been lifted to 28 degrees, which would be the warmest day this month if that top is achieved and more than 8 degrees above the May averge.

 

The city remains in the midst of its warmest spell for any time of the year based on a departure from long-term averages. Sydney’s heatwave will extend to 10 days on Monday, with the prospect of at least two more.

 

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/seasonal-heat-records-fall-for-sydney-with-autumn-added-to-the-list-20140526-zroik.html#ixzz32vYOIYEg

Edited May 27, 2014 by knocker

[Styx]

The Bureau confirms May as the third warmest on record for Australia, a feat made more remarkable after a cold start. The Bureau also issued a rare climate statement last week regarding the recent bout of heat, titled "An exceptionally prolonged autumn warm spell over much of Australia"

 

This paragraph from the statement sums up the situation over the last 2 years

 

The current warm event is the latest in a sequence of prolonged or intense warm spells

that have affected a large part of the continent roughly every six weeks since the end of

2012. This coincides with record-breaking

or well-above-average temperatures that

have persisted across Australia for the past 22 months. The 12 months ending

January 2014, February 2014, March 2014 and April 2014 have all been record-warm

for Australia. It is virtually certain that the 12 months ending May 2014 will also set a

new high record.

 

The year-to-date (January to May) temperature anomaly for Australia at 31 May 2014

is expected to be near +0.95 °C. This will mean that 2014 ranks in the top five warmest

starts to a year on record behind 2005 (+1.17 °C), 1998 (+1.05 °C), 2013 (+1.04 °C)

and 2007 (+0.96 °C).

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/special-statements.shtml

 

Recent months in Australia. ( There is a chance that the odd month may be 0.1C off due to rounding, but no more )

 

.

[Styx]

...and the autumn charts have now been published on the BOM website showing autumn as third warmest on record in Australia for 2014. This follows on from the 15th warmest summer (2013/14), the warmest spring(2013), and the third warmest winter ( 2013)

 

 

 

Edited June 1, 2014 by Styx

[Styx]

 

Picturesque sight in Hobart this morning with a ribbon of fog streaming down the Derwent valley, cloaking the city. I am a the city end so I don't have this wonderful view, which is taken from the Rose Bay High webcam from the rivers eastern side.  The cam link is in my signature.

 

Cold air is draining down the valley from the central highlands and Hobart is currently sitting on it's minimum temperature - 1.6C at 7:30am. The cold dense air under high pressure is also creating quite the temperature contrast where it is presently 6C on the mountain summit ( 1270m ).

 

It's a dry snowless winter in Tasmania so far but strong high pressure at this latitude guarantees below average temperatures.

-8.7C in the central highlands the night before last, for example.

[knocker]

Nice photo Styx. Looks an extremely pleasant place to live.

[Styx]

Nice photo Styx. Looks an extremely pleasant place to live.

 

The natural setting is very special...I never get tired of the nature  - but it has its downsides like everywhere else! I think those downsides though are often quite personal - especially if your ties with your home city stretch back to childhood! I think it is then that boredom can set in quite easily, and familiarity starts to become a bit of a curse!

 

[knocker]

Drought in store as El Niño’s western cousin to grow stronger

http://theconversation.com/drought-in-store-as-el-ni-os-western-cousin-to-grow-stronger-27826

[Styx]

Significant snow likely in the Australian Alps beginning next week...as a conveyer belt of fronts in a persistent W-SW'ly airstream looks set to cut thru the south east.... likely to push the accumulated snow total well beyond the historical median for this time of the year. The snowfields will have a very good time.

 

This bucks the trend of recent years... which has seen a lack of weather activity moving in from the Southern Ocean during the winter season . It may get significantly cold enough by next weekend for low level snow, especially in Tasmania. ( This is always a tasty prospect !)

 

Winter looks like its cranking up, to a pattern of times of old. Just hope it's not the beginning and the end of the winter. We'll see! 

[NorthNSW]

Yesterday, there were some thunderstorms about the local district, with the town of Forster receiving copious amounts of (mostly) small hail from a storm.

 

Frosty Forster hit by hail storm
By  Tracey Fairhurst - June 21, 2014.
Forster, on the Mid North Coast, was blanketed by ice after a massive hail storm left a trail of destruction at 3pm Saturday afternoon.
In some areas, more than 10-15cms of ice covered the streets after hail stones up to the size of golf balls buffeted the area.
The roof of the Kmart department store partially collapsed causing internal flooding of the Stockland Shopping Centre.
(http://www.portnews.com.au/story/2367296/frosty-forster-hit-by-hail-storm-photos/?cs=257)

 

Photos from around Forster:

(Source: The Great Lakes Advocate - Facebook)

(Source: NSW Incident Alerts - Facebook)

(Source: NSW Incident Alerts - Facebook)

(Source: The Great Lakes Advocate - Facebook)

(Source: The Great Lakes Advocate - Facebook)

(Source: The Great Lakes Advocate - Facebook)

(Source: The Great Lakes Advocate - Facebook)

 

The large amount of small hail caused blockages and sections of ceiling collapsed at Forster's major shopping centre:

(Source: NSW Incident Alerts - Facebook)
You can see why the roof became overwhelmed with that pile of hail from one gutter outlet!

(Source: The Great Lakes Advocate - Facebook)
Parts of the shopping centre remained closed today.

 

These storms that dump heaps of small hail aren't unheard of in winter along the NSW Coast. You will usually see a town or two somewhere along the NSW coast receiving a covering of small hail similar to this every winter.

We had a similar type of storm here in August 2011:

(Source: NBN Weather)

(Source: NBN Weather)

(Source: NBN Weather)

Edited June 22, 2014 by NorthNSW

[SomeLikeItHot]

Great photos NorthNSW I remember a couple of storms like this in Sydney with parks looking as though they were snowed in. There is some videos of people snowboarding at the back of Bondi beach on such a fall somewhere on Youtube some years ago. 

[Styx]

 

Extraordinary forecast.......

By Gerg, on June 22nd, 2014

Updated…

 

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting well over 100 mm of precipitation for our alps across the 8 days to Monday 30 June. Nearly all of that would be snow at the predicted temperatures, for potentially 1 m aggregate snowfall, an extraordinary outcome by Australian standards.

 

The highest recorded one week depth gain at Spencers Creek (near Charlotte Pass, midway between Perisher Valley and Thredbo) was 109.5 cm in the week to 8 August 1996. This event won’t rival that because the fall will be split over two measurement weeks and because of snow compaction over the interval, but it remains an extraordinary forecast in the context of our 60 years of snow depth records.

http://gergs.net/2014/06/extraordinary-forecast/

 

The current weather event is underway in Victoria and New South Wales...with a non stop run of cold fronts moving north eastward into the south east corner of the country. However, it is not exceptionally cold.

Tasmania however has missed out on this one... but turning very cold here early next week, (for a time).

 

   

[NorthNSW]

Let it snow.

 

Weather bureau predicts a big weekend of snow
June 25, 2014 - 12:12PM
Henry Belot and Primrose Riordan

Snow-goers at Thredbo and Perisher awoke to find more than a metre of fresh snow on Wednesday morning thanks to the blizzard conditions and icy temperatures that swept through the region on Tuesday afternoon.
After a dismal Queen’s birthday opening weekend, the Snowys have at last lived up to their name with meteorologists predicting even more snow to fall over the weekend once a new cold front passes over the mountains.
A Bureau of Meteorology spokesman said Thredbo and Perisher were likely to see more than 15cm of snowfall on Wednesday and a further 15cm of snow on Saturday night backed by strong winds.
“We would be expecting big snow over the weekend. At 1400 metres there is a 60 per cent chance of snow, whereas down at 1000 metres or below there will be a lower chance,†said the spokesperson.
Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino backed the call for more snowfalls. “The cold front on Saturday should bring an even better snow-producing system over the ranges,†he said.
According to the BOM, the chilly snap is the result of a cold front originating off the west coast of Tasmania, which brought wild 90km/h to 110km/h north-westerly winds into Canberra throwing around trees and people.
By Tuesday evening below-zero temperatures had drummed up nearly 14 centimetres of snow on the ground at Thredbo, Perisher and Charlotte Pass, with winds of 104km/h recorded at Thredbo station after midday.
A spokesman from Thredbo said the 100 centimetres of fresh powder predicted over the rest of the week would open up new trails.
"The major snowfall has prompted the opening of Friday Flat, High Noon Super Trail, Merritts and Cruiser chairlifts with the whole mountain set to open later in the week," a resort spokesman said.
Overnight snow falls at Corin Forest on the Tidbinbilla Range encouraged the resort’s managers to open their play fields after last year's closure, with plans to remain open for the duration of winter.
Corin Forest spokesman Andrew Snell said they had received between 15 centimetres and 20 centimetres of the powder by Tuesday night. "We’ve had snow last night and throughout today. As to whether there will be snow this weekend, between snowmaking and what has already fallen, there will definitely be snow," Mr Snell said.
By 4pm Tuesday, however, some snowslide enthusiasts had to turn about when the Corin Forrest road was closed by Territory and Municipal Services due to wild conditions.
Mr Snell said he hoped things would change by Saturday and encouraged people to drive with caution and to use four-wheel-drive vehicles and chains whenever possible.
Wild conditions rocked Canberra on Tuesday with temperatures dropping to minus 6.8 degrees in Canberra shortly before 7am.
The BOM issued a severe weather warning on Tuesday afternoon for damaging winds on Wednesday morning across the Hunter, Illawarra, South Coast, Central Tablelands, Southern Tablelands, South-West Slopes, Riverina, Snowy Mountains and ACT districts.
An ACT Emergency Services Agency spokesman said it had received at least 38 call-outs to  fallen trees and rain-flooded homes, mostly on Canberra's northside. The biggest  incident saw a tree burst through the roof of a house in Ramage Place at Flynn.
A minimum of three degrees and a top of 10 degrees is expected to bring some relief on Wednesday.
ACT Policing has advised of several road closures due to snow around Canberra. Along with Corin Road, Angle Crossing Road, Sunshine Road, Bendora Dam Road, Mount Franklin Road, and parts of Brindabella Road and Boboyan Road have been closed.
The Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve and all ACT government-owned sporting grounds were also closed on Tuesday due to high winds and wet weather.

( http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/weather-bureau-predicts-a-big-weekend-of-snow-20140624-zskin.html )

(Article published 7 hours ago)

 

Windy weather yesterday and today, mainly across Victoria and NSW (excluding here on the northern NSW coast). Gusts reaching 75-100km/h were widespread yesterday/overnight, with some locations getting winds stronger than this. Notably, the coastal locations around the Illawarra in NSW, a little to the south of Sydney Metro, had gusts in excess of 100km/h yesterday. Wollongong Airport (Albion Park), 117km/h. Bellambi, 113km/h. Kiama, 106km/h. There was also a bit of storm surge too in Melbourne yesterday causing some minor inundation about the Yarra River.

Quite a number of places around Victoria and NSW have had gusts reach the 75-90km/h range during today too. On the news tonight, they said this week could be Sydney's windiest week in a decade.

 

Here on the northern coast of NSW we did not receive the powerful winds. Around the local area, gusts maxed out around 40km/h yesterday, and maxed out at around 35km/h today.

Edited June 25, 2014 by NorthNSW

[keithlucky]

Drought in store as El Niño’s western cousin to grow stronger

http://theconversation.com/drought-in-store-as-el-ni-os-western-cousin-to-grow-stronger-27826

 

Stormy cold wet weather hits Australia http://t.co/qO9wb946DX

[Styx]

According to snow measurements undertaken by the Snowy Hydro corporation since 1954, the Australian Alps have just had their 8th biggest weekly snow dump on record ( 87cm ), and the second highest weekly total so early into winter. Big falls traditionally come in August.

 

http://gergs.net/gallery/

 

Spencers Creek  ( at 1830m ) is the most elevated station, and has an accumulated snow depth of 1.02 metres as of the end of this week. 

Three Mile Dam ( 1460m ) has 25cm.

 

And there's more to come...a series of active fronts with an associated low to barrel into the south-east over the weekend, with another 50-80cm likely at Spencers. 

 

-----------

 

An historic season for Australian snow conditions? Or is this the best it'll get? 1981 is year that outshines all others - a monster challenge to compete! 1991...it is a current match. 2006 was the worst year of all ( exceptionally dry ). Last year was a late start then an early melt, thanks to a record warm spring.

The history Calculator presents a chosen year in graph form...direct link on lefthand side of homepage http://www.snowyhydro.com.au/

Edited June 27, 2014 by Styx