Rainfall this winter has exceeded the average for all the three months June to August with more than 75mms in Wangaratta. At the other main rural centres in the North East the August rainfall is still below 75mms but expected rain this week will lift the total above 75mms. Wangaratta has had 10 occasions when all three winter months exceeded 75mms of rainfall, being in 1894, 1909, 1916, 1917, 1920, 1921, 1936, 1955 and 1981. On 19 June Ceduna recorded 92.4mms and this set up the very wet winter in North East Victoria. Three other heavy June rainfalls at Ceduna in 1942, 1955 and 1981 certainly set up a very wet winter in North East Victoria. As a result of the excessive winter rainfall mean maximum temperatures have been two degrees above normal. The total number of frosts days at Wangaratta this winter to date is 16, which is the lowest since 1981. Maybe the rest of this year will be warmer and somewhat drier except for thunderstorms in November and December and a hot January Whitfield has had 281mms in June, 212mms in July and 161mms to date this month. It had wetter winters in 1916, 1917, 1920, 1942, 1955, 1981 and 2016.
