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February2019Weather diary page Feb 17, NE NSW: Looks like i'm putting down roots here so i'm back with some skin in the game. Been an interesting intro - having chosen the area because of reliable rainfall, it hasn't rained properly in 6 weeks. Locals say it's the driest, hottest summer they've ever seen. Grass has turned yellow, which is normal in Vic for summer but has never happened here before. Here it's supposed to be the wet summer, dry winter pattern. Last week it hit 42 for two straight days - fires about 60-80km west of here that destroyed 20 houses. It's another level of dry there but still highly unusual for this time of year - the fire season in this area is usually just a couple of months coming off the dry winter and before the summer rains come - generally all over by Dec - and no where near as severe as the southern fire season. Appears that has changed. Dust storm and smoke haze here while fires were at their height. Crazy summer all round - fires down south - drought broken by record floods in the north caused by stationary low pressure - record dry and fires around here. Cyclone over Vanuatu (stationary - guess it's causing havoc there but nothing in the news) forecast to track almost down to Gold Coast (though out to sea) before recurving towards New Zealand - but shows this area is potentially in reach of a cyclone. Feb 25, Aomori: This is the first week that it has consistently hit highs above freezing, at least enough for the snow to start melting. Today is the nicest day we've had yet this year. Right now it's sunny and 9C, expected to hit 10. That's downright tropical! Up until about 3 days ago, you can pretty much copy and paste: cold, snow, wind. EDIT: This weather diary has been useful this year. I needed to check when they turned the heat off in our building last year because I feared it was in March. Turns out it was in early May. Feb 27, Aomori: Highs today near 6C with the average high for the next week predicted at 9 with lots of sun. This is definitely a shift from 2-3 weeks ago. Lots of snow still on the ground, but it's melting rapidly with more grass showing every day. There's probably a 5' pile still next to the sidewalk in front of our house. Feb 28, NE NSW: Seems i brought the rain. Cyclone Oma meandered as far down south as Brisbane (though 100's of k's offshore), and being the reverse of the northern hemisphere the rain action is to the south of the typhoon. Got some decent gusts coming through on the 22nd (the day i moved in), which was good going considering how far away we were from the eye, including one that banged the gate against the real estate agents car and snapped off her rear vision mirror. Saw a big tree down on the road as i drove here that day as well - the trees here are not suited to typhoons - those big gums drop massive branches as a matter of course - in a wind storm it would be terrifying to be in a forest of them - luckily nothing hanging over the house. Since then it has rained every day - nothing too heavy - around 10 mil per day - great for the vegie garden. Planted tomatoes, beetroot, lettuce, silver beet, capsicum, ginger, and herbs on the first few days. Grass is back to green - going to have to figure out what to do about that - there's too much of the stuff to mow. Cows are a short term option - hoping to grow a crop of something but need to buy a tractor first to plough. A garden. Sun. Warmth. I'm jealous. |