Not bad for January, that cold change. Its not common to get cold fronts at this time of year but it does happen now and then. It will probably 'ridge out' beyond the ski fields but snow for Tassie and the ski fields should see a bit too. Nice.

Even today is pretty amazing, cool crystal clear breezy day, clouds have that Autumn look from the SW, not even going to reach 20 I suspect today, Mount Boyce still similar too I can see. Currently still only 19 at 1pm, and the cool part of the week still to come.
Should be quite autumish for Homer in Kalkite today too.
Sydney does the usual weird thing being hotter in a colder airmass and colder in a hotter airmass.

It sure was Peter. Very Autumnal.
As much as this is a snow event, I'm going to head off to the current NSW storm outbreak thread for further comments, as I think this is a fairly significant summer cold outbreak, and I'd hate for it to be lost in here. If time permits, I'll add some comments in here as well, for the records of this thread.

Homer

I have just began uploading daily temperature statistics to my website for temperatures recorded high (1235m ASL) in the Barrington Tops for anyone interested. The remainder of years will also be uploaded hopefully within the not too distant future.

Data can be found on my Barrington Tops page.

Thanks Grant, always interested in your info.

This Prague Cam is one of the best res cams I've seen for wintry weather. The contrasts there would show up snowfalls nicely:

http://www.praguewebcam.com/

Hi all, I have been doing a little research into my family history in the Oberon/Taralga area. I came across this very interesting document about the history of settlement in the Oberon area by Phillipa Gemell-Smith.It is quite long though, a good read on a rainy afternoon perhaps?

Cheers, Chris.

http://www.oberonaustralia.com.au/OberonHist.pdf

Thanks Avalon at 121 pages definitely another day but now saved on my drive. Cheers.

Didn't take any pics myself this time of Bridal Veil Falls in good flow but thankfully, another more talented local did yesterday:

http://www.blackheathweather.com/generalphotos/govetts-leap4-3-12warren2.jpg

http://www.blackheathweather.com/generalphotos/govetts-leap4-3-12warren1.jpg

Blizz that second photo is a corker!

Oh great photos - thanks for putting those up there Blizz!!

Thanks guys, he's a talented photog and nice bloke, will pass on the feedback.

At least we had one day of glorious sunshine yesterday. Should 'sun-up' again later in the week.

Grant, only rainfall data for Hunter Springs appears in the Bureau's official record. Yet Mrs Wright appears to be a most diligent observer, so it is amazing to me that the Bureau has not provided her with a full set of instruments instead of just a rain gauge. There is no other station (and to the best of my knowledge never has been) on the BT, yet it is a large and climatologically discrete area of NSW that deserves a full climatological record.

Thanks for your work in bringing her observations to light.

There is some work going on at the Bureau looking at how non-official observations can be incorporated into the broader climate record: the Hunter Springs temperatures would seem to be a prime candidate.

Sad to hear of well known, former Blackheath local Lincoln Hall passing away today. He's had a very tough battle over the last year or so. He certainly loved the upper Blue Mountains and cold climate life in general.

I remember clearly, taking the call when his wife believed he had died on Everest in 2006 (she had phoned us to cancel her son's exams) and can still picture Lincoln sitting in our front yard with his big dogs, whilst waiting to pick up his boy from lessons. Died so young. RIP.

No probs Laurier, it's a pleasure. Yeah it is a shame that there has never been an official AWS high in the BTs, the weather experienced up there can be vastly different from anywhere else in the Hunter at any one time.

The thermometer Mrs Wright began recording temperatures with was a Dobbie combined min/max unit supplied by the BoM many years ago, when I tested it against my own personal instruments (here at my home over several months) I found it to be quite accurate. Then I had Mrs Wright use a wireless thermometer that she could use from the comfort of her lounge room with an accuracy that surprised even me. For a cheapish unit they are more often than not within 0.5°C of my standard glass sensors. I know her temperature sensors were not to BoM standards, but I feel they are a good indicator nonetheless.

Sounds exciting Blair, i've recently updated my AWS here at Raymod Terrace if your interested lol.

Yes it is very sad to hear Blizz; after such an adventurous life that mongrel disease took him so early.

One of his sons - I think it was - was in my sister's year at school and they were quite an involved family. Certainly a sad day...

Truly Lincoln was a special person - I've followed his exploits for years. I still can't believe he survived that horrible time on Everest only to get this disease.

His humanitarian work like many mountaineers was also way up there. A life well lived.

Yes, sad to hear about Lincoln Hall, amazing you knew him. When I heard the story I could not help myself think that the stress of the climb on his lungs is what set the time bomb of the disease rather than what they said about working on an old house when younger. Very high altitude really is dangerous thing, cannot be good for anyones health. Up to about 3000m most people are fine and maybe some are ok up to 5000m and it can be healthy but the bad effects rapidly increase above that.

Very sad to here about Lincoln Hall.
He was a great Australian.
Asbestos has cause this and this is a fact.

Yes, my wife was mentioned in Lincoln's last book but I only know the family through my wife's connection with them. Very sad. Will keep an eye on developments and community support opportunities for the family.

As a dedicated buddhist, Lincoln is somewhere out there with a new set of lungs, blowing hard today as he ushers in the first front and chilly mornings for us by Saturday.

It will be lovely to experience for all of us.