Mallacoota Weather: February 2021 report

 In summary the weather wasn't very Summery!   Rainfall above median; both minimum and maximum temperatures below average; quite humid (which possibly is Summer-like) and windier tyan normal (as far as can be told).

Rain

well above median rainfall (but a little below long-tern mean).  It was well below the deluge of 2020, which was the heaviest fall since 2013.  (Note that falls before 2019 were at the Airport, but they generally are similar to those at Angophora.) 

The rain in 2021 occurred mainly early in the month as shown by the development of my pro-rata estimate of the annual total.  After the significant falls on 1 -3 February this year theestimated anuual fall has steadily declined to be 1040 mm by the end of the month.

Temperatures

My overall measure of temperature of the month is given by the anomaly between the current average temperature and the long term mean for the month.  Using BoM data by the end of the month that was at -0.65C.  The development of the anomaly though the month shows a period of great variation early followed by a sharp drop and a gradual warming to the 19th to 21st of the month from which time coolness returned: both minima and maxima were below average for the last 6 days of the month.

This chart shows the comparison of the daily BoM extrema against the long term averages for the date.

Much the same pattern is shown by the daily values from my Weather Station.

I have charted time series of the two extremes and neither series shows a significant trend.

Minimum temperatures

The average minimum temperature for the month (15.7C) was a little below average but well below the value for 2020.  

The lowest temperature recorded at home was 10.2C on the 24th while the warmest was 22.4C on the 5th.  That was the 3rd highest February minimum recorded in the series covering BoM values to 2018 and my site since them.   While perhaps a little inconsistent minima are usually quite comparable between the two sites.

Maximum temperatures

The average maximum temperature for the month (23.8C) was below the long term average.  As the maximum temperature at the BoM site is usually somewhat cooler than at home (due to the effect of the sea breeze later in the day) this possibly understates how cool 2021 was.  It may be shown better by the comparison with 2020 where the difference is much greater.

The highest temperature recorded at home was 33C - the only day above 30C in the month.  The minimum maximum for the month was 17.4C, the 6th lowest February maximum in my data set, on the 3rd of February.  It is interesting that the maximum recorded by the BoM for that date was 20.6C while the maximum recorded at another private station in town was 18.4C.  I can't offer an explanation for this.   The two private stations recorded the maximum in the afternoon and possibly the BoM are showing the temperature at 0859 on 4 February.

Humidity

As would be expected from a month with above median rainfall the values for humidity were also higher than average but a little down on last year (which had higher rainfall).

Wind

Much breezier than 2020 and a little above the adjusted average.  A major contributor to the run was the value of 455 km recorded on the 5th of February which was the 3rd longest run I have recorded.  (By way of comparison, in "The Home of the Blizzard" Douglas Mawson refers to a day in which the average wind velocity was 90 miles an hour: that equates to a daily run of 3456 kilometres.)

On the 5th, most of the wind came from the North, which is thus a good part of the reason that winds from that direction dominate the month. 

The atypical amount of Northerly wind is shown in the following chart contrasting 2021 with the three years for which I have records ((including 2021).

The Trump (ie LOSER 😂😂😂☝) in the exchange is wind from the ESE which was greatly below previous years.