July 17, 2015
Freezing conditions which have swept over the South Burnett for the last few days should come to an end soon.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has forecast that the cold, stable air mass which has been causing sub-zero overnight temperatures across the region the last few days will move east towards New Zealand soon.
An overnight minimum of zero has been forecast for Saturday night – which may get to below zero in some parts – but temperatures should begin to rise on Sunday night (2 degrees) before lifting again on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (5, 6 and 7 degree overnight minimums, respectively).
This morning large parts of the Bunya Mountains were iced over with rime, more than frost but technically not snow. Rime is white ice that forms when the water droplets in fog freeze on the surface of objects.
Some residents reported on social media that some trees were so heavily encrusted that branches snapped off; and others suggested the last time this had happened in the Bunyas was more than two decades ago.
On Wednesday morning, Kingaroy was rated as the coldest place in Queensland with overnight temperatures dipping to minus 3.6 degrees.
On Thursday, Stanthorpe took the crown, with minus 2.2 degrees (Kingaroy was minus 1.7).
But Kingaroy took the crown for the second time this morning with minus 2.5 degrees (Stanthorpe was minus 2.1).
