Weather News

SA's warm farewell to frosty August

Brett Dutschke, Wednesday August 27, 2014 - 18:16 AEST

South Australia is ending August with a few warmer nights and days but this month will still go down as the frostiest on record for most of the state.

Virtually all of the state has had more than the normal number of frosts this month. The West Coast, Flinders, Mid North and Barossa have been hit hardest with five-to-ten more frosts than in a typical August.

Kyancutta has got as cold as zero degrees or lower on 13 mornings this month, 10 more than the long-tern norm and three more than the previous record, set in 1978. Kyancutta's records go back 83 years.

Ceduna has hit zero or below 10 times, nine more than normal and three more than the previous record, set in 1969. Ceduna's records go back 73 years.

Hawker, Yongala, Rosedale and Keith have all had more frosts this month than in any August in the last 30 years.

Adelaide has not chilled to freezing but has dipped below five degrees on nine nights, only one short of the August record, set in 1978, 1925 and 1905. Allowing for the warmer nights to come, the city is likely to end up having its coldest August nights in six years, averaging a minimum of 6.9 degrees.

We have been under the direct influence of a high pressure system for almost all of the month due to the position of the jetstream. Cold fronts and low pressure systems which keep frost away by bringing wind, cloud and rain, have been too far east. As a result, it has turned out to also be a dry month across the south and west of the state.

Between now and the start of spring a high pressure system will shift east, allowing winds to turn more northerly, drawing warmer air from the north of the country, effectively eliminating frost by the weekend. Only the odd patch of light frost is likely on Thursday and Friday mornings.

These warmer northerly winds are at least making days reach as much as five-to-eight degrees above average with many places on target to experience their warmest August week in seven years. Adelaide should average a maximum of about 22 degrees.

This warm spell will not spell the end of the cold. Spring is usually quite changeable and this one is looking no different.

Unfortunately for some grain crops, further frost damage is a risk during the first week of spring due to the likelihood of two cold fronts then two high pressure systems forming in their wake.

- Weatherzone

© Weatherzone 2014

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