Topic: QLD/NSW cold snap 28 June - 2 July 2010

[Colin Maitland]

School holidays are upon us again in QLD and so to is the annual trek to find snow. This year is looking a little more promising for the first week of the holidays starting Monday the 28th of June.

Temperatures around the Stanthorpe,Northern NSW and the Northern Table lands area will plumet during that week. There is forecast of snow for Armidale on Wednesday the 30th of June.
 
So enjoy and take care.

Col

 

[Michael Bath]

Hi Col,

The latest GFS has downgraded the potential a bit, though it's been throwing up Central Tablelands / Northern Tablelands snow chances on the 30th June since last week.  I'm sure the 30th will be the day as it's the only evening I cannot head up to the NTs !

MB

[Colin Maitland]

Just running through the latest charts, and it appears the cold spell will work its way up from Victoria and give us some colder weather next week. But as for the snow, well it looks as if the chances are diminishing every day as MB highlighted in his last post.   .

With only a small window of opportunity and work commitments, it appears it is a no go for finding snow for us this year. At least we will get a little taste of winter.  

On the lighter side, at least I was able to watch the forecast change 3 times a day since Monday

Col

[Harley Pearman]

Cold morning for 28 June 2010

Some exceptionally cold minimums on the morning of 28 June 2010. In particular, many inland areas away from the coast suffered minimum temperatures well below zero including:-

Armidale - Minus 8C.
Bathurst, Canberra Airport, Tumbarumba and Yass - Minus 5C.
Cooma and Glen Innes - Minus 7C.
Gunnedah - Minus 4C.
Oberon - Minus 6C.
Richmond - (NW Sydney) - Minus 2C.
Tenterfield - Minus 6C.
Thredbo - Minus 9C.

Judging by news reports and looking at bureau of Meteorology data, the cold was widespread across Victoria as well.

On another matter this would be a timely reminder that when driving in highland areas such as the Central or Southern Tablelands in such temperatures or early mornings please be aware of black ice on the roads. I have had recent experience of driving on black ice during my recent trip to Oberon following a recent cold outbreak and frost. The cold temperatures that have occurred may lead to such phenomena occurring on roads especially in shady ares or wet areas.


Harley Pearman

[Antonio (stormboy)]

Hi Col,

The latest GFS has downgraded the potential a bit, though it's been throwing up Central Tablelands / Northern Tablelands snow chances on the 30th June since last week.  I'm sure the 30th will be the day as it's the only evening I cannot head up to the NTs !

MB

Hey i just wanted to know where these charts can be found or what they are called. planning to see my first snow ever this year maybe going to Ben lemond but need to know when. thanks.

[Jason(pato)]

Gday Antonio,

Have a look through Michael Bath's snow forecasting guide, it will point you in the right direction for not only what charts to use but also on what indicators to look for when assessing a possible snow event on the NT's. On a side note charts look woeful for anything in the Guyra region for the next two weeks. Hopefully we'll see something up there soon.

Heres a link to MB's snow forecasting guide

http://australiasevereweather.com/storm_news/2007/docs/snow_chase_guide.htm

Cheers Jason

[Antonio (stormboy)]

Gday Antonio,

Have a look through Michael Bath's snow forecasting guide, it will point you in the right direction for not only what charts to use but also on what indicators to look for when assessing a possible snow event on the NT's. On a side note charts look woeful for anything in the Guyra region for the next two weeks. Hopefully we'll see something up there soon.

Heres a link to MB's snow forecasting guide

http://australiasevereweather.com/storm_news/2007/docs/snow_chase_guide.htm

Cheers Jason

Thanks Jason will study these and hopefully see my first ever snow this year.

[Harley Pearman]

Second cold night in a row for New South Wales 29/6/2010

Another very cold night across New South Wales 29/10/2010. Looking at the Bureau of Meteorology weather stations for minimum temperatures, some of the minimum temperature readings are quite amazing. A few places were colder than Charlottes Pass in the Snowy Mountains.

Armidale - Minus 9.1C. The coldest location that I could find. Topography would have played a big role in causing this overnight minimum to occur.
Barraba - Minus 5C.
Bathurst - Minus 6.2C.
Bourke - Minus 4C.
Cabramurra - Minus 5C.
Charlottes Pass - Minus 7C (The minimum temperature plunged to Minus 13.5C on the morning of 28/6/2010).
Cooma - Minus 8.5C.
Coonabarabran - Minus 6C.
Dubbo - Minus 3.9C.
Glen Innes - Minus 6.8C.
Inverell - Minus 7C.
Oberon - Minus 4C.
Richmond (NW Sydney - Minus 3.8C). Much of Western Sydney experienced 0C to Minus 1C as the minimum temperature for the day.
Woolbrook - Minus 8C.

Certainly some cold morning readings for June and certainly cold.

Harley Pearman

[Antonio (stormboy)]

Another extreme morning.

Armidale wowed me this morning it go to - 11.2 a new record i think http://www.weatherzone.com.au/nsw/northern-tablelands/armidale

Ben lomond had snow http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/big-dump-on-ben-lomond/14541

very cold indeed my station got to 6.5C very cod night at the moment.

[Jimmy Deguara]

Hi Harley,

This winter is shaping up to some sort of record! Temperatures near -4C yesterday morning 29th as Harley has suggested and this morning nearing -5C - -4.8C at 7am but not sure of the absolute minimum. We are hearing of countless burst water pipes attached to hot water systems! Unbelievable!

I await Harley Pearman's extensive report in regards to the absolute temperature for this morning 30th June.

Regards,

Jimmy Deguara

[Harley Pearman]

Minimum temperatures for 30 June 2010

For some localities, the morning of 30 June 2010 was even colder. If Charlottes Pass at roughly 1,700 to 1,800 metres in elevation (Minimum of Minus 7.2C overnight) is used as a guide, then it becomes clear that localities much lower in elevation and away from the Snowy Mountains suffered an even colder morning than that occurred at a locality high in the Snowy Mountains. In particular:-

Armidale (Minus 11.2C), Cooma (Minus 8.5C), Woolbrook (Minus 8.5C) and probably Glen Innes Airport (Minus 9C although I cannot find the exact minimum) clearly suffered a colder morning than that at Charlottes Pass. The cold has certainly lingered over the Northern Tablelands.

The low of Minus 11.2C at Armidale is approximately 10 degrees Fahrenheit.

There are places that came close to matching the minimum at Charlottes Pass including Bathurst and Glen Innes (Town) - (Minus 6.7C), Tenterfield (Minus 6.5C), Bombala (Minus 6C) and Gunnedah (Minus 5.8C).

Even Richmond (NW Sydney) dropped to Minus 4.8C which is a low that I have not seen since I moved to Sydney in 1997.

The south west of NSW did not get as cold this morning.

I have prepared a plot showing the minimum temperatures for the 29/6/2010 from the Bureau of Meteorology site "Water and the Land" specific for minimum temperature. It shows the tablelands and slopes most affected by the cold. The Northern, Central and Southern Tablelands have been hit hard by the unusual low temperatures. Hence places like Armidale and Bathurst have borne the brunt of the cold.

Armidale sits 986 metres above sea level. Much of the town is built within a valley (although elevated) with North and South Hill rising to about 1,100 metres in elevation. At night cold air sinks and pools in the valley where it becomes trapped. Any heat gained during the day is rapidly lost at night when there are no clouds about. The topography of the town has played a big role in the minimum temperatures that have occurred there lately.

The plot is provided below (Dated 29/6/10).

Harley Pearman

[SamSnow]

 
I noticed this mornnig the GFS snowcast map has 5-10cm snow forecast for Guyra. I will have to investigate more, later on. Just got up
edit: I would expect the snowcast to downgrade. The current models dont seem to agree with the GFS snowcast map

edit.
Some really cold minima recorded, though June did apppear to be overly warm, coldest here so far for me 2.6c. I live at Tallai, an acerage suburb of the Gold Coast. Very thick cloud cover this morning. Should be a cool day here.

[Colin Maitland]

Yesterday, being the last day of our brief trip for the school holidays, we stopped at Guyra twice. Although it was very cold and very wet there was no hint of snow or sleet.   

Arriving at Armidale, it was rather warm sitting on 7C at 12.00pm, as the cloud rolled in, the temperature dropped to 6C at 1.00pm as we left.

It was a very pleasant drive through many areas of the Table Lands watching the mist and clouds roll over the mountains and tease you of what could of been if the weather set up was right.


Yesterday, WZ News wrote about the "Blue Mountains becoming white" with snow. In part the article stated:


Snow is now looking to become a reality, with the snow level even dipping below 1000 metres as the coldest upper air passes overhead during the early hours of the morning. Already there have been reports of sleet at Sunny Corner.

Avid winter photographers should get ready for blanket of snow in the more elevated regions of the Blue Mountains. Cloud should clear during the morning, allowing snowfalls to melt, so perhaps the early the photo, the better.

[David Brodrick]

There was a few flakes of snow falling on Mt Kaputar between about 10am - 11am on Friday morning, before it degenerated into light rain. 6.5mm was recorded up there to 9am Saturday morning.

There was not nearly enough snow to settle on the ground and its even hard to see the snowfall on the webcam when it is not looping in an animation, but I've attached a still frame showing a few white specks falling.

[Michael Bath]

The temperature profile for northern NSW was not really supportive of snow - far too stable and warm above the surface layer.

Had a maximum of 12.3 (full 9am to 9am measurement) here yesterday which is pretty impressively cold for this part of the world, though the record is 11.8 on 31 July 1980  (Lismore).   Received 17mm of rain too.

MB