Cold weather gives you an excuse to read a book by the fireplace or snuggle up under the blankets. Plus, it’s a welcome respite from hot, sunny summers. But recently, several areas have been experiencing extreme temperature fluctuations and disruptive weather conditions at an unprecedented rate.
In fact, the last few winter seasons have seen some of the coldest temperatures in Australian history. Let’s explore a few fast facts about Australia’s cold weather, including: what’s the coldest place in Australia? When is the coldest month? And how does today’s data compare to annual rainfall, snow, and temperature records from the past decades?
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What Is The Coldest Day In Australian History?
The lowest temperature ever recorded was -23C on June 29, 1994 at Charlotte Pass in the Snowy Mountains, New South Wales. However, this doesn’t include our nation’s territories in the Antarctic, where temperatures have hit as low as -80C.
Coldest Weather In Australia: When And Where
When Does Winter Start?
Winter in Australia is different from winter in the northern hemisphere. While the UK and the United States are having fun in the sun from June to August, Australia goes through it’s coldest season.
Where Does It Snow In Australia?
Most foreigners think that Australia is a land of sand, sun, and surf. While they’re not wrong, they’re also not totally right. It’s rare for snow to fall in major central business districts like Sydney or Melbourne, but there are still several places in Australia where you can go skiing, sledding, ice skating, and engage in other fun winter activities.
It mostly snows in Australia’s mountains and highlands, such as in the appropriately-named Snowy Mountains, Blue Mountains, and Tasmanian Highlands. There have also been some extreme cases of snow falling in the east coast and northern territories, such as in Alice Springs, but this is highly unusual.
When it does snow in non-alpine regions, it’s rarely more than a few centimetres. Canberra experiences light snowfall every winter, alongside a few cities in New South Wales.
Rainfall In Australia
There’s more to cold weather than snow – heavy rains can also significantly lower temperatures in Australia. Cairns, in particular, has broken world records for the amount of rainfall and flooding it gets every year. In Victoria, Gippsland is one of the most reliable areas for rain forecasts.
You can check out this weather map to see how many days of rain each area in Australia gets:
What Was The Lowest Recorded Temperature In Australia?
Technically, the ‘coldest temperature’ in Australia would occur in the Australian Antarctic Territory. But if you only consider Australia itself, then the coldest day in our history was June 29, 1994 – Charlotte Pass in the Snowy Mountains hit temps as low as -23C.
Tasmania takes 2nd place with a record low of -13C on June 30, 1983. In contrast, the hottest temperature ever recorded is 50.7C in Oodnadatta Airport on January 2, 1960.
Climate Change: Are We Seeing More “Coldest Days” In Australia?
Climate change is critically hitting countries around the world, and Australia is no exception. In general, however, Australia is getting hotter – since the 1900s, Australia’s average temperature has increased 0.7C – halfway to scientists’ ‘point of no return’. This has resulted in droughts due to lesser rainfall, bush fires, and rising sea levels.
Still, that doesn’t mean some areas aren’t experiencing the opposite effect. In May of this year, Ballarat reached temps as low as 5.7C, its coldest May day since 2000. Even Ocean Grove in Geelong, a usually warm beachfront area, experienced its lowest maximum temp since 1987 this year.
The Coldest Temperatures In Australia By City 100
Canberra, ACT
Average July min. temperature: 0C
Lowest ACT temperature: -14.6C, Gudgenby (July 11, 1971)
Sydney, NSW
Average July temperature: 8C
Lowest NSW temperature: -23C, Charlotte Pass (June 29, 1994)
Melbourne, VIC
Average July min. temperature: 6C
Lowest VIC temperature: -11.7C, Omeo (June 13, 1965)
Brisbane, QLD
Average July min. temperature: 10C
Lowes QLD temperature: -10.6, Stanthorpe (June 23, 1961)
Darwin, NT
Average July min. temperature: 19C
Lowest NT temperature: -7.5C, Alice Springs (July 12, 1976)
Adelaide, SA
Average July min. temperature: 7C
Lowest SA temperature: -8C, Yongala (July 20, 1976)
Perth, WA
Average July min. Temperature: 9C
Lowest WA temperature: -7.2C, Eyre Bird Observatory (August 17, 2008)
Hobart, TAS
Average July min. Temperature: 5C
Lowest TAS temperature: -13C (June 30, 1983)
Winter Wonderland Or Warning Sign?
Climate change is negatively affecting our world – ice caps are melting, sea levels are rising, and extreme weather conditions are more common now than ever. The coldest day in Australia has remained the same since 1994, but our nation gets warmer and warmer every day. If we don’t act now, you can say goodbye to snowy holidays and winter festivities!
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