IT'S shaping up to be a good year for weather in Wagga with above average rainfall pouring down on the city by the halfway point.
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So far, the Bureau of Meteorology has recorded 287.6 millimetres of rainfall this year, which is 21mm above average.
And despite the crisp winter weather, the bureau's technical officer Nigel Smedley, who is based at the Wagga office, said temperatures had been also warmer than average, which might be hard to believe.
He said it is a trend that is expected to continue in the next three months.
In other news:
The average temperature in June was 3.9 degrees overnight, which is 0.2 degree above average. Meanwhile, the maximum daytime temperature was 0.1 degree above average, at 14 degrees.
"We still have one and half months left of winter, but the outlook is generally good because it is still the same warmer conditions for the next three months, but we will still get some cold days," Mr Smedley said.
He said that rainfall by this time of year was usually below average, but it was good news that this year was different.
Mr Smedley said that most of the rain had fallen in March, 77mm, and April, 98.4mm. Last month, the city received 55 millimetres of rain, which he said was above average.
"The outlook is also positive news because it is a wetter three months likely for Australia from August to October," he said.
However, Riverina farmers are staying cautiously optimistic.
NSW Farmers Wagga district branch chairman Alan Brown said above average rainfall so far this year was "exceptionally good," however the months ahead will shape the rest of the season.
"The big but is that it was above average autumn rain and winter relatively dry, and winter rainfall is the most reliable all year because we need that sub-soil moisture going into spring," he said.
"That's when we get into serious trouble.
"And because of the climate change problem, we are missing out on the key spring rain that we need."