Been a long hard winter...

[Gob]

After enduring the coldest winter in 15 years and wettest winter in 10 years, Canberrans are ready to shed the layers, plant the bulbs and sit in the sun with the arrival of spring - finally - on Tuesday.

True, a freezing morning is still forecast for the first day of spring on Tuesday but the turn of the calendar to September 1 provides a major psychological boost for any resident of the national capital.
Because, as the stats prove, we've done it tough this winter.

Weatherzone has provided some preliminary statistics for winter 2015 at the Canberra airport which show we shivered through 53 below-zero mornings - 10 more than normal.

The coldest temperature for winter this year was minus 7 degrees, which was recorded on two days, June 2 and July 3. The warmest day was August 22, with a top temperature of 21 degrees.

The average temperature for this winter was 6.41 degrees compared to the long-term average of 6.43 to 6.45 degrees.

Weatherzone senior meteorologist Anthony Duke said the average night-time temperatures for winter this year was expected to be around minus 0.2 degrees, which was 0.8 degrees colder than the average of 0.6 degrees.

Maximum day-time temperatures during winter were actually warmer than average of 12.3 degrees by 0.7 degrees.

"Because the overnight temperatures have been 0.8 degrees below average and the day-time temperatures have been 0.7 degrees above, [the overall temperature] comes out at very close to average but it is still coldest winter in 15 years at Canberra airport," Mr Duke said. "You've got reason to complain."

Mr Duke said to Friday there had been 158mm of rain at Canberra airport which was 24 per cent more than average.

"That makes it the wettest winter in 10 years," he said.

There were reports of snow in Canberra on August 12, with cold air and clear skies combining to make it an especially chilly winter.

"We did see stronger cold fronts move through, certainly than we have in recent winters," Mr Duke said.

"So that just means we had colder air move up from the Southern Ocean more frequently and it stuck around longer. We had some fairly prolonged spells of high pressure as well in between those cold fronts and that particularly affects the overnight temperatures with clearer skies and light winds overnight."

The average top temperature in spring at Canberra airport is 19.4 degrees and warmer temperatures are keenly anticipated. The outlook for the first day of spring this year at this stage is minus 1 to 16 degrees.

Rodney Toll of Rodney's Plant Plus at Pialligo said the nursery was getting busy with 'green thumbs' out in search of colour for their spring and summer gardens.

"Spring is definitely the busiest time of the year for us," he said. "Trade is very quiet over winter when people hibernate and then they come out in spring."

Jarrod and Emma Hodder will be celebrating their first spring in their new home in Googong, which they moved into in December and where they have created a native garden from scratch. With two young children, Matilda, four, and Beau, six months, it has been a long winter.

"You feel happier [with the arrival of spring]. After being cooped up for so long, you can't wait to get outside," Mrs Hodder said.

And the biggest celebration of spring - Floriade - kicks off in Commonwealth Park on September 12.

Head gardener Andrew Forster said up to 25 gardeners had been busy in the preceding months planting 1 million bulbs and annuals.

The theme for Floriade this year was "reflection" with a nod to the centenary of Gallipoli. Mr Forster said a feature would be three-dimensional raised garden beds including a rising sun and an aeroplane.
Spring for him meant the fruition of months of hard work.

"It's nice to get to the start of Floriade and see all the people come through the gates and for us to hear what people think," he said.


Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-new ... z3kLIdwWme
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[Lord Jim]

Weatherzone has provided some preliminary statistics for winter 2015 at the Canberra airport which show we shivered through 53 below-zero mornings - 10 more than normal.

Before anyone starts to think that means that the Canberran's suffered through a Novosibirsk style winter, remember they're talking "zero" in Celsius ...

Which translates into 32 degrees in real temperature...

A chilly morning to be sure, but not Ivan Denisovich-type stuff...

The first day of spring on Tuesday

Well I just learned something new...

The seasonal change dates in the Southern Hemisphere don't correspond to the seasonal change dates in the Northern Hemisphere...

Fall doesn't start here officially till the 23rd of September...

[Gob]

When does autumn start?

[MajGenl.Meade]

They are real sloppy down south. In South Africa, people would tell me "well, summer has come at last!" And the date was December 1. Every sane person knows that the first day of summer is December 21/22 (south) and June 21/22 (north). But they care nothing for either equinox or solstice - if the sun starts shining, it's summer. If it stops, it's winter.

Same with this Australian spring thing. We all know that that the vernal equinox starts September 23 as the exact opposite of our autumnal equinox. Maroons!

[Guinevere]

Come talk to me when you've had 10 feet of snow in under 3 months, and record cold. Farenheight record cold.

[Gob]

We had snow!!






http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weath ... ix6ab.html

[dales]

Looks like freakin' SIBERIA!

[MajGenl.Meade]

More like dandruff... Guin nailed it

[Crackpot]

Descriptors fail the level of sheer... I can't come up with an insult that wouldn't be insulting to the group being described in the insult leaving me with nothing better than fucking Australian.

[Sue U]

They are real sloppy down south. In South Africa, people would tell me "well, summer has come at last!" And the date was December 1. Every sane person knows that the first day of summer is December 21/22 (south) and June 21/22 (north). But they care nothing for either equinox or solstice - if the sun starts shining, it's summer. If it stops, it's winter.

Same with this Australian spring thing. We all know that that the vernal equinox starts September 23 as the exact opposite of our autumnal equinox. Maroons!

Nonsense. Everyone knows that summer starts the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, fall starts the day after Labor Day (or whenever the kids go back to school), winter starts on Black Friday and spring starts on Easter.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Yanks are as bad as ignorant southern savages

[wesw]

spring starts when the daffodils bloom.

when the dogwoods bloom it s time for rock fishing (stripers to you Yankees)

summer starts when the hardhead (croakers) start to bite and the cum trees spread their scent of semen

fall begins when the leaves start to turn

once the leaves fall, its winter again

[Guinevere]

They are real sloppy down south. In South Africa, people would tell me "well, summer has come at last!" And the date was December 1. Every sane person knows that the first day of summer is December 21/22 (south) and June 21/22 (north). But they care nothing for either equinox or solstice - if the sun starts shining, it's summer. If it stops, it's winter.

Same with this Australian spring thing. We all know that that the vernal equinox starts September 23 as the exact opposite of our autumnal equinox. Maroons!

Nonsense. Everyone knows that summer starts the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, fall starts the day after Labor Day (or whenever the kids go back to school), winter starts on Black Friday and spring starts on Easter.

Meteorologically, that's pretty close. Falls starts tomorrow (but you didn't hear that from me -- I'm a September 22/23 kind of girl -- make summer last as long as possible)!

[Big RR]

Of course, that doesn't explain why June 21/22 (and I would presume December 21/22) is called Midsummer.

[Guinevere]

Differences between astronomical and meteorological seasons - one based on earth's position relative to the sun, the other based on temperatures.

https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/news/meteorol ... difference

As for mid-summer and mid-winter, I expect that's based on light, since the days start getting shorter on the summer solstice, and longer on the winter solstice.

[Big RR]

That's as good an explanation as any; I had presumed that centuries ago, people recognized two seasons, summer and winter, running from the equinoxes (which would be easy to chart), one planted and cultivated in summer and harvested and stored in/for winter. Using march 21 as the starting date of summer, june 21 would be midsummer. I guess this ties in with the length of the days as well.

[rubato]

The inflection points for temperature change occur after the astronomical inflection points because the thermal masses of the earth, oceans, and atmosphere take time to heat or cool.

In terms of rate of change of hours of light it is of botanical interest as well. At the equinoxes day length is changing at the highest rate in the year and much more rapidly in Portland Oregon than Santa Cruz because the difference between the longest and shortest days are greatest. This provides a much 'sharper' signal for leaves to change color so that at more northern latitude*s within 3 days a whole new group of trees are in flame and later on they drop their leaves very quickly.

yrs,
rubato

[wesw]

thank you professora Julia......

[oldr_n_wsr]

Come talk to me when you've had 10 feet of snow in under 3 months, and record cold. Farenheight record cold.

Get ready for another one Guin.
I was out in the yard yesterday and the acorns are dropping early and are plentiful (just ask the soles of my feet ). Also, found a wooly catapillar in the compost pile and it had overly thick fur.
Sorry I don't have better news.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Also, found a wooly catapillar in the compost pile and it had overly thick fur

Sure that wasn't just a discarded hot dog?