No Warm Welcome As Spring Cops The Cold Shoulder

Newcastle Herald

Thursday October 23, 2008

By MELISSA LYONS and MARTIN DINNEEN

SPRING felt more like winter yesterday as temperatures in the Hunter plummeted eight to 10 degrees below average.

The mercury hit a high of 14 degrees in Newcastle, which put the city well on track to record its coldest October day in 10 years.

Cessnock's 14 degree maximum broke a 19-year record low for October, and at just 11 degrees Tocal had its coldest October day in 35 years.

Temperatures at Lake Macquarie reached 14 degrees, Scone 12 and Mangrove Mountain 11.

An unexpected light dusting of snow fell at Barrington Tops.

National Parks and Wildlife Service senior ranger Leanne Ellis said the snow would have melted quickly overnight.

"The roads are still open but it is very slippery and dangerous," Ms Ellis said.

With the cold snap came news from the Department of Primary Industries that drought conditions in the Hunter Valley had eased in recent months.

Maitland and areas of the Upper Hunter, including Muswellbrook and Jerrys Plains, were upgraded from marginal to satisfactory.

Weatherzone.com.au meteorologist Matt Pearce said a cold air mass moving up the NSW east coast was responsible for the cool conditions, but the return to winter would be short-lived with temperatures expected to reach high 20s or low 30s by the weekend.

4 DAY FORECAST

TODAY

Showers 9-18 degrees

TOMORROW

Fine 10-22 degrees

SATURDAY

Fine 12-27 degrees

SUNDAY

Isolated showers 14-21 degrees

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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