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Climate of Launceston |
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Spring |
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Spring is a season of transition, where winter weather
patterns begin to take the shape of summer patterns.
However snowfalls are still frequent in Highland areas of Tasmania during spring. Although rare, even as late as October, snowfalls have been recorded in the Launceston area in 1940, 1978 and 2003. After the winter months spring weather is generally conducive to heading back out into the garden. However, although air temperatures are still quite cool, the increasing sunshine has a little more ‘bite’ to it in spring, and sunburn should be a concern. Winds, in general, increase, and sea breeze effects (north-westerly winds) become more obvious during the afternoon – spring is the windiest season! Spring in Launceston is marked by a considerable rise in the average temperature, and the number of people contemplating cleaning their barbecues.
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Summer |
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After pining for it all winter and shaping up for
it all Spring …. Summer in Launceston is spent swimming at Cataract
Gorge. And, of course, throwing a few steaks on the new barbecue.
Thunderstorms are more frequent during summer than the other seasons. On Christmas Eve 2001 a tornado descended from thunderstorms and caused extensive damage to Launceston’s Summerhill district – estimates suggest wind speeds between 200 and 250 km/hr. Summer also means a serious bushfire threat. This increases late in December, and often extreme fire danger days prevail in the latter part of summer. Afternoon sea breezes temper coastal maximum temperatures, however inland temperatures can approach 40 deg. C. Despite generally warm daytime temperatures, and overnight temperatures around 11 degrees in Launceston, the Central Plateau area can record minimum temperatures below zero. And even snowfalls!
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Autumn |
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Autumn is the other transition season - where summer
weather patterns gradually take on the shape of winter patterns.
Early autumn usually brings some relief from the dry conditions characteristic of summer. Although flooding can occur during any season, two of Launceston and environs’ biggest floods have occurred in autumn - 1929 and 1960. Despite this, autumn is generally the most settled season with fewer extremes than the other seasons, and a compromise between wind and cold temperatures. Many festivals and weddings are planned in Launceston at this time of the year. Oh yeah, you probably don’t need to be told - most people pack their barbecues away during autumn.
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Winter |
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Forget about the barbecue; try hot soups and hearty
casseroles. Winter is obviously the coldest season, and snowfalls are
very frequent in Highland areas. Snowfalls have also been reported in
the Launceston area on a few occasions.
Winter, for Launceston, is also the season with the least amount of wind. Because of this, and the topographical affect of the Tamar Valley, Launceston winters are renown for their frequency of foggy mornings. In fact, Launceston airport is the most fog-bound commercial airport in Australia. Despite the high frequency of light wind days, the passage of cold frontal systems have caused wind gusts at Launceston airport to 113 km/hr - in the winters of 1949 and 1984. The passage of frontal systems are chiefly responsible for winter also being the wettest of the seasons.
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