Wednesday, 1 April 2009 - Monthly Climate Summary for Victoria - Product code IDCKGC26R0

Victoria during March 2009
Weather conditions close to normal

Summary

After several very hot and dry summer months, weather conditions returned to normal during March. Daytime temperatures were mostly near to, or slightly above, the long-term averages, Melbourne's mean maximum being 24.3 deg C (0.5 deg C above normal) whilst overnight, temperatures were mostly near to, or slightly below, the long-term averages, although Melbourne's mean minimum was 14.5 deg C (1.3 deg C above normal, the above normal reading arising from the "heat island" effect of the city's roads and buildings).

By contrast, away from the influence of urbanisation, Melbourne Airport's mean minimum was a cooler 12.9 deg C (only 0.3 deg C above normal).

Rainfall totals were also close to the long-term averages, Melbourne's total for the month was 47.6 mm (normal 50.2 mm). The change in the weather pattern may be attributed to the return of significant cold fronts. Some of these were associated with "cold outbreaks" during the month, which were associated with some very light early snowfalls on the highest peaks of the Victorian alps, and followed by some light frosts over the lowlands.

Following the clearing of skies after the passage of a major cold front during the 3rd and the 4th, which spread very cold air from the southwest over Victoria, several places in the Victorian alps experienced their coldest weather for the month during the night of the 5th/6th. For example, Mt Hotham recorded −2.9 deg C, Mt Buller recorded −1.8 deg C, Falls Creek recorded −1.6 deg C, Dinner Plain recorded −0.6 deg C, and Mt Baw Baw recorded 0 deg C.  

Over the lowlands, light frosts were reported at several places late in the month, as the approach of an anticyclone cleared the skies, thereby allowing maximum radiational cooling. Temperatures fell to 2.2 deg C at Casterton, Ballarat, and Westmere during the night of 27th/28th.

An anticyclone parked itself over the Tasman Sea between the 18th and 21st, blocking the progress of approaching fronts. This culminated in the month's hottest day on the 21st, when Hopetoun recorded the State's highest temperature of 38.5 deg C, whilst Mildura recorded 37.7 deg C.

An archive of previous monthly summaries for Victoria is also available, as are summaries for other states and many other climate summaries and diagnostics.

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Seasonal Climate Outlook

The outlook for April-June rainfall may be found at http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ahead/rain.seaus.shtml

The outlook for April-June temperatures may be found at http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/ahead/temp.seaus.shtml

Long-Term Climate Averages

Long term climate averages may be found at http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/

Further information

Dr Harvey Stern
Climate Meteorologist
Victoria Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (03) 9669 4956
Email climate.vic@bom.gov.au

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Records

Nil Records

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Summaries

This table is very wide and may not fit if printed.

Summary statistics for 1 March to 31 March 2009
	Maximum temperatures for 1 March to 31 March (°C)				Minimum temperatures for 1 March to 31 March (°C)				Rainfall for 1 March to 31 March (millimetres)
	Mean for 1 March to 31 March 2009	Diff from average	Highest for 1 March to 31 March 2009		Mean for 1 March to 31 March 2009	Diff from average	Lowest for 1 March to 31 March 2009		Total for 1 March to 31 March 2009	Average for 1 March to 31 March	Rank of 1 March to 31 March 2009	Fraction of 1 March to 31 March average
North Mallee (district 76)
Mildura Airport	28.6	+0.2	37.7	21st	13.8	0.0	8.1	18th	23.4	18.0	high	130%
Ouyen	28.6	+0.1	37.5	21st	12.7	−0.3	8.0	18th	6.9	19.5	average	35%
Walpeup Research	28.4	+0.4	37.5	21st	12.7	−0.5	8.3	15th	6.6	21.0	average	31%
South Mallee (district 77)
Hopetoun Airport	28.3		38.5	21st	11.6		4.5	27th	16.0
Swan Hill Aerodrome	28.7	0.0	37.2	21st	12.6	+0.2	7.0	28th	15.0	10.3	high	146%
North Wimmera (district 78)
Nhill Aerodrome	27.2		37.6	21st	10.6		5.5	27th	9.0
Warracknabeal Museum	27.3	+0.2	37.0	21st	11.6	−0.3	5.8	27th	18.4	20.0	average	92%
South Wimmera (district 79)
Edenhope Airport	25.3		36.3	21st	9.7		4.1	28th	24.6
Grampians	16.5		26.5	21st	7.3		2.5	15th	62.2
Horsham Aerodrome	26.9		37.5	21st	9.6	−0.1	3.3	27th	11.0
Horsham Polkemmet Rd	26.9	+0.3	37.1	21st	9.6	−1.6	3.6	28th	13.4	23.7	average	57%
Kanagulk	25.5		36.2	21st	10.1		4.0	28th	18.0
Longerenong	26.7	+0.3	37.2	21st	10.5	−0.8	1.6	27th	12.8	23.4	average	55%
Pyrenees	19.8		30.0	21st	9.8		5.0	4th	45.2
Stawell Aerodrome	25.2	−0.2	35.6	21st	11.3	+0.2	5.3	28th	22.0	14.5	high	152%
Lower North (district 80)
Charlton	27.5		36.3	21st	12.1		7.1	29th	14.0
Echuca Aerodrome	27.9	+0.5	35.9	21st	12.2	−0.4	7.0	18th	16.6	30.1	average	55%
Kerang	28.5	+0.7	36.8	21st	12.3	−0.9	8.0	18th	9.2	26.7	average	34%
Kyabram DPI	27.3	+0.8	35.7	21st	12.3	0.0	6.4	18th	8.2	25.4	low	32%
Upper North (district 81)
Bendigo Airport	26.4	+0.5	34.9	21st	11.5	+0.2	4.9	28th	26.8	21.5	average	125%
Shepparton Airport	27.3	−0.6	34.5	21st	12.0	+0.2	6.8	18th	21.0
Tatura Inst Sustainable Ag	26.7	+0.4	34.4	21st	11.7	0.0	5.0	29th	16.6	32.3	average	51%
Yarrawonga	28.4	+0.5	34.2	21st	12.8	+0.6	7.0	18th	16.4	21.4	average	77%
Lower Northeast (district 82)
Beechworth Woolshed	27.3	+0.6	32.5	21st	10.2	+0.5	0.9	6th	25.6	40.6	average	63%
Benalla Airport	27.6		34.1	21st	11.5		5.3	16th	17.6
Corryong Airport	28.5		33.0	23rd	9.8		3.5	7th	30.9
Dartmouth Reservoir	27.1	+1.4	31.8	20th	10.4	−0.5	4.4	17th	27.4	58.5	low	47%
Hunters Hill	22.5	+0.5	27.5	20th	12.0	+0.6	4.2	6th	39.2
Rutherglen Research	28.0	+0.8	33.6	21st	11.4	+0.7	5.8	6th	19.2	37.5	average	51%
Strathbogie	23.5	−0.5	29.9	21st	9.0	+0.1	3.4	16th	56.4	52.9	average	107%
Wangaratta Aero	28.0	+0.3	33.1	21st	10.6	+0.2	4.4	7th	22.2	31.5	average	70%
Upper Northeast (district 83)
Dinner Plain	20.3		24.8	20th	6.0		−0.6	17th	29.2
Falls Creek	14.9	+0.6	19.9	29th	6.3	+0.1	−1.8	6th	71.4
Mount Buller	14.5	−0.4	19.9	9th	6.9	0.0	−1.6	6th	92.0	90.5	average	102%
Mount Hotham	13.2	0.0	18.0	1st	5.8	−0.1	−2.9	6th	116.8
Omeo	24.6		29.8	21st	8.9		3.3	28th	35.2
Omeo Comparison	24.6	+2.0	30.2	1st	8.7	+0.9	3.0	8th	35.0	52.7	average	66%
East Gippsland (district 84)
Combienbar AWS	23.6	+1.8	32.7	21st	12.1	+0.5	6.4	5th	18.4
Gabo Island Lighthouse	21.5	+0.5	25.9	20th	15.6	0.0	10.7	16th	15.2	72.8	low	21%
Gelantipy	22.3	+1.4	28.1	20th	9.8	+0.1	4.8	28th	53.4
Lakes Entrance	22.7		34.3	21st	13.0		8.8	15th	36.2
Mallacoota	22.6	+0.4	31.4	21st	13.7	−0.2	8.4	16th	41.0	72.5	average	57%
Mount Nowa Nowa	23.6	+1.1	34.4	21st	12.7	0.0	8.4	5th	27.2
Orbost	25.2		35.1	21st	12.9		7.1	28th	21.2
Orbost	25.1	+1.2	35.0	21st	12.3	+0.1	6.4	28th	22.4	66.0	low	34%
Point Hicks	22.7	+0.7	34.0	21st	15.0	−0.1	7.9	5th	30.5	63.9	low	48%
West Gippsland (district 85)
Bairnsdale Airport	24.7	+0.9	35.3	21st	11.1	+0.1	4.8	28th	12.6	39.9	low	32%
East Sale Airport	24.7	+1.2	35.4	21st	10.9	−0.5	5.0	28th	19.8	48.8	low	41%
Morwell	25.1	+0.7	35.5	21st	11.7	+0.6	5.0	28th	30.4	45.1	average	67%
Mount Baw Baw	14.5	+0.3	21.3	21st	6.3	0.0	0.0	6th	94.0
Mount Moornapa	23.1	+0.9	33.0	21st	11.7	0.0	7.8	28th	not available
Noojee	23.5	+0.7	32.2	21st	9.8	+0.2	4.8	29th	70.4	68.8	average	102%
Pound Creek	23.2		34.9	21st	11.7		2.8	29th	67.0
Wilsons Promontory Lighthouse	19.5	+0.1	28.7	21st	14.4	−0.2	10.6	16th	113.4	68.9	high	165%
Yarram Airport	23.5		35.7	21st	11.3		4.3	29th	24.4
East Central (district 86)
Bundoora	24.1	−0.1	34.0	21st	12.9	+0.5	7.0	28th	57.0	43.0	high	133%
Cerberus	22.8	−0.1	34.6	21st	12.6	+0.4	5.0	29th	52.6	46.1	average	114%
Coldstream	25.1	−0.3	33.5	21st	10.3	+1.1	3.0	28th	78.0
Cranbourne Botanic Gardens	23.8	+0.5	34.5	21st	12.5	+0.2	8.5	28th	52.8	40.2	average	131%
Essendon Airport	24.1	+0.2	34.8	21st	13.1	+0.8	7.1	29th	35.4	39.3	average	90%
Ferny Creek	20.2	+0.3	29.9	21st	10.6	−0.4	6.6	15th	96.0	77.4	average	124%
Frankston AWS	22.5	+0.2	32.4	21st	14.3	−0.1	10.5	9th
Melbourne Airport	24.2	+0.2	34.7	21st	12.9	+0.3	8.4	28th	34.4	36.0	average	96%
Melbourne Regional Office	24.3	+0.5	34.6	21st	14.5	+1.3	9.7	9th	47.6	50.2	average	95%
Moorabbin Airport	23.7	0.0	34.9	21st	13.1	+0.2	8.0	29th	40.6	45.0	average	90%
Rhyll	22.2	−0.1	31.3	21st	14.4	0.0	11.5	16th	50.4
Scoresby Research Institute	24.3	+0.2	33.4	21st	12.3	−0.3	6.6	9th	65.2	55.5	average	117%
Viewbank	24.5	−0.7	34.8	21st	12.4	0.0	6.6	28th	68.2	38.7	high	176%
Wallan	21.9	+0.7	30.4	21st	10.7	0.0	6.8	15th	37.4	31.3	average	119%
Wonthaggi	22.8	+0.2	33.5	21st	12.4	+0.4	8.8	31st	83.8	61.5	high	136%
West Central (district 87)
Avalon Airport	23.8	−0.3	37.0	21st	12.4	+0.2	7.0	9th	32.8	27.6	average	119%
Grovedale	22.9	−0.1	36.3	21st	11.7	−0.1	6.1	28th	35.2	32.1	average	110%
Laverton RAAF	23.6	0.0	35.2	21st	12.7	+0.3	6.5	29th	38.6	35.0	average	110%
Sheoaks	23.1	+0.3	34.4	21st	10.9	+0.1	4.8	27th	27.4
North Central (district 88)
Castlemaine Prison	24.8	0.0	33.3	21st	10.9	0.0	3.8	27th	25.8	32.2	average	80%
Eildon Fire Tower	22.9	−0.8	29.9	21st	11.4	0.0	7.1	5th	67.0
Lake Eildon	26.2	+0.5	32.9	21st	10.4	−0.2	5.4	18th	46.8	51.7	average	91%
Mangalore Airport	26.3	+0.2	34.2	21st	12.4	+0.1	7.1	16th	33.0	30.7	average	107%
Maryborough	25.5	+0.1	35.0	21st	11.2	−0.4	6.2	18th	32.9	30.1	average	109%
Redesdale	25.6	+0.4	33.6	21st	11.2	+0.7	4.7	18th	28.8	32.3	average	89%
Western Plains (district 89)
Ararat Prison	24.0	+0.2	34.2	21st	9.5	+0.1	3.0	29th	24.4	30.8	average	79%
Ballarat Aerodrome	22.9	+0.4	33.1	21st	9.9	0.0	2.2	28th	40.2	42.1	average	95%
Westmere	24.0		35.5	21st	9.7		2.2	28th	29.6
West Coast (district 90)
Aireys Inlet	21.3	0.0	35.8	21st	12.9	−0.4	8.8	28th	27.6	28.6	average	97%
Cape Nelson Lighthouse	19.8	−0.3	34.1	21st	13.5	−0.4	8.4	28th	49.0
Cape Otway Lighthouse	19.6	−0.3	32.6	21st	13.1	−0.1	8.8	28th	71.0	56.3	high	126%
Casterton	24.3		35.5	21st	9.8		2.2	28th	36.4
Casterton Showgrounds	24.5	−0.1	35.0	21st	9.7	−1.1	2.8	29th	35.2	36.1	average	98%
Colac	22.3		35.1	21st	11.3		8.4	15th	31.0
Dartmoor	22.9		34.6	21st	8.8		1.5	29th	54.0
Hamilton Airport	24.0	−0.2	35.2	21st	10.0	−0.1	4.1	28th	29.0	33.2	average	87%
Mortlake Racecourse	23.6	−0.1	35.8	21st	9.7	+0.1	2.0	9th	42.6
Port Fairy AWS	21.4	0.0	36.6	21st	12.0	−0.9	6.3	28th	39.0
Portland	20.4	−0.6	33.6	21st	10.9	−0.8	3.2	28th	56.6	45.8	high	124%
Warrnambool Airport NDB	22.7	−0.3	35.4	21st	9.9	−0.5	3.1	29th	51.6	46.2	average	112%
Weeaproinah	17.9	−0.4	30.3	21st	9.7	−0.8	7.0	4th	135.2	111.5	high	121%

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Notes

Further information

Dr Harvey Stern
Climate Meteorologist
Victoria Climate Services Centre
Bureau of Meteorology
Phone (03) 9669 4956
Email climate.vic@bom.gov.au

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