MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW - ARMIDALE NSW

MARCH 2016

March 2016 was an unusually warm and dry month.
The rainfall total of 28.0 millimetres was 37 mm lower than the average with most of the rain (18.6 mm) falling on the 29th and 30th.
It was the warmest March since 1998 with both day and overnight temperatures well above the long term average, although there were no notable extremes.
Thunderstorm activity was higher than normal with storms on six days. Most of the storms produced only light falls of rain.

Winds were mostly light easterlies which is normal for this time of year.

There were no noteworthy events.

MARCH 2016 STATISTICS (long term averages in brackets)

Rainfall: 28.0 mm (65.0 mm)

Rain days: 7 (10)
2016 rainfall total Jan to Mar: 173.8 mm (254.7 mm)

Average maximum temp: 26.3 deg (23.4 deg)

Average minimum temp: 11.2 deg (10.2 deg)

Highest maximum temp: 30.4 deg on the 2nd

Lowest maximum temp: 20.0 deg on the 30th

Highest minimum temp: 15.9 deg on the 9th

Lowest minimum temp: 3.9 deg on the 23rd

Fine sunny days: 9 (16)

Ideal weather days: 1 (2)

Days with thunderstorms: 6 (2.5)

Days with frosts: 0 (1)

Days with fogs: 1 (3)

Wind direction at airport at 3pm & number of days: E: 7, W: 7, N: 3, NE: 3, SE: 3, S: 3, SW: 3, NW: 2

Average daily pan evaporation: 4.2 mm (3.7 mm)

Thunderstorm details:

9th: 4.00-4.10pm - slight storm from north-west - 0.4 mm rain
14th: 4.00-4.30pm approx - slight storm from south-west - 2.8 mm rain
18th: 3.30-4.30pm - slight storm from south-west
9.00-10.15pm - moderate storm from south-west with light rain
21st: 3.30-4.15pm - moderate storm from west with light rain
3.51-3.54pm - hailstones mixed with train up to 15mm diameter in North Armidale
28th: 8.30-8.45pm - slight storm from west - 2.6 mm rain
29th: 7.00-7.10pm - slight storm from west - 11.2 mm rain



March 2016 daily data