Weather News

Canberra slow to thaw after frozen fog of a morning

Brett Dutschke, Saturday June 23, 2018 - 15:29 AEST

Canberra took until brunch to shake off the frozen fog which had blanketed much of northern ACT just before sunrise when it had chilled to minus five degrees.

The fog developed as moisture from light easterly winds condensed into low cloud at about 3am. This low cloud then lowered near to the ground which had already cooled to minus four degrees, effectively causing the low cloud and fog to freeze. The wind stayed light during the morning, at times calm, failing to help the rising sun disperse the frigid fog layer. The sun had to do the job on its own, taking until 11am to get it done.

A similar event tomorrow may develop on Sunday morning due to a near-stationary high pressure system recycling the diurnal pattern for a bit longer.

Come Monday morning, the light wind should tend a slightly drier southeasterly, reducing the chance of fog but increasing the chance of a colder morning.

Saturday was the second day in a row it got as cold as minus five degrees at the airport. It was also the third in a row the airport had got colder than minus four and there is potential to extend this run to six days, through to Tuesday. If this is achieved, it will become the first time in four years it has got this cold on six consecutive mornings.

This may turn into a fairly unusual event for early winter. In the last 80 Junes there have only been five occurrences of stringing together six mornings as cold as minus four degrees, in 2006, 1984, twice in 1965 and in 1959.

- Weatherzone

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