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Eastern Australia's frost season starts late but abruptly

Brett Dutschke, Sunday May 29, 2016 - 18:52 AEST

For most of Australia's frost-prone areas the frost season has started later than any other year since 2007 but now it has arrived with a shudder.

Since May 18th many places had only had about half-of-or-less-than their seasonal average frosts but are now catching up in a hurry, doubling their tally

Bombala, on the New South Wales Southern Tablelands, averages 11 sub-zero nights and has had 12 so far this season, six of them in the past 12 nights.

Further north, Tenterfield has now had seven, two more than average, including four in the past 12 nights.

However, most places are still running well below average. Thredbo is has had 13 fewer than its seasonal average of 32. Goulburn is running 10 below average, Tasmania's Mt Read is running 10 below, Victoria's Mt Hotham seven below and South Australia's Yunta three below.

Sunday morning got as cold as minus eight degrees at Cooma and in terms of averages as cold as 10 degrees below average in Queensland's Maryborough.

For both Maryborough (3.2 degrees) and Hervey Bay (5.3 degrees) Saturday night was their coldest May night in 10 years.

During Sunday night/Monday morning frost is likely along the slopes and ranges from central Queensland to Victoria and over parts of Tasmania, severe in parts.

Temperatures will dip as much as six-to-12 degrees below average, and for some places potentially the coldest for May in several years.

As the week wears on a developing low pressure trough will take over from a high pressure system, increasing cloud and leading to warmer nights, reducing the frost risk. However, frost is still a chance on the ranges.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2016

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