Signs of spring as Canberra leaves behind its coldest winter in 12 years

The Bureau of Meteorology reported that Canberra had its coldest winter in 12 years, with night temperatures averaging below zero for the first time since 1997.

The minimum temperature averaged minus 0.4 degrees Celsius, which was more than a degree below average. After a wet July August had average rainfall (at 119.5 mm). Because of the cold overnight temperatures and average rain, the day temperatures were quite high. The maximum averaged 13.2 degrees Celsius, nearly one degree above normal.

The overall average temperature was 6.4 degrees Celsius over winter, which was the same as Canberra’s long term average temperature, but it was the coldest in 12 years.

Snow fell on August 16 in Canberra, but it came and went rapidly with leaving a layer on the ground, except on the Brindabella ranges. It was more of a snow shower that caused the day temperature to drop below 3 degrees with the minimum at minus 4 degrees. The snow line was between 600-800 metres through most of the day with dumps of 30cm snow in the Snowy Mountains.

However, due to the cold winter, there was a great ski season in the Australian Alps. By late August the peak snow depth was well over 1.5 metres on the high slopes.

August’s coldest temperature in Canberra was minus 6.6C with the highest overnight temperature at 5.7C (and a mean of 0.5C). The daytime temperature ranged from 9.2C to 19.4C with a mean of 13.6C. The sunshine hours averaged 6.6 hours per day. The total August rainfall was 40.4mm and the maximum wind gust was 12.7 kilometres per hour.

http://citynews.com.au/2012/canberra-shivers-through-coldest-winter-in-12-yrs/

MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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