Paul Rosser 
In January we hit rock bottom with NIL rainfall to report. The only way to go was up!
In February, I am relieved to report we had 11.5mm of rain. For the record, our Year to Date was also 11.5mm. Strange that.
How does that compare with previous years:
2026 11.5mm (8) 11.5mm YTD
2025 2.0mm (12) 9.5mm
2024 NIL (=13) 34.0mm
2023 14.5mm (=6) 58.0mm
2022 8.0mm (9) 46.0mm
2021 27.5mm (4) 39.5mm
2020 24.0mm (5) 49.5mm
2019 5.0mm (10) 6.0mm
2018 3.0mm (11) 9.5mm
2017 14.5mm (=6) 76.5mm
2016 36.5mm (3) 64.5mm
2015 NIL. (=13) 31.0mm
2014 48.0mm (2) 68.0mm
2013 12.0mm (7) 19.0mm
2012 72.0mm (1) 75.0mm
This February is in the bottom half of readings for February & YTD.
Then it half happened. We were promised up to 80mms of rain to kick off March. Poor old BOM got it wrong for our area. We got 23.5mm in the last offering, 28th February, 1st & 2nd of March & now the sun has returned as I type up this report. Bruce & I had a chat – has the break come? We agreed the short answer is ‘NO ‘ & it is not likely until April, according to leading South Australian Climatologist Darren Ray.
There will be a sharp return to dry weather with opening rains by early to mid to late April which is as usual. ‘It will rain after Anzac Day’, was my ‘Pop’s’ weather forecast 50 years ago. Will he be right?
What is unusual is that winter will likely to be drier than average this year. If the El Ninio continues to develop over winter into autumn, that too will be drier than average. Not a lot to look forward to, I’m afraid. Currently it is a 50/50 % chance of developing. More on that next month.
The good news is ‘Mad March Festival Season” will be a ripper, weatherwise.
So, with day & night temperatures being above average, soil temperature/moisture will be down, so don’t roll your hoses up just yet.
That’s it for this month.
Paul
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