DRY and warm are not two words we would normally use to describe July in Ballarat, but relatively, it's been a pretty mild month across the city.
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Historically, July is the coldest month of the year averaging just 10.2 degrees, but this year we've come in a little bit warmer at 10.8 degrees.
It's also traditionally one of the wettest months, averaging 66.6mm, but we only received 41.8mm for the month, despite some rain falling on 18 of the 31 days.
The reason for Ballarat's lack of rainfall can be traced to over to two big east coast lows which have drenched the far east of the state and southern coastal New South Wales.
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For example, Orbost, the state's most eastern major town has received 117mm for the month, more than double the usual average, while Merimbula just over the Victorian border has recorded its wettest ever July with 219.4mm, including three separate days where more than 50mm fell.
Temperatures remained relatively consistent as well with no unusually warm days and only three days for the month where the top temperature was at least nine degrees. The coldest day was back on July 3, a grey day where we reached just 7 degrees.
The wettest day was on July 12 where 18.2mm fell, but given the rainfall in other parts of the state, it was a barely a drop in the ocean.
Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Tom Fejes said much of the state had remained dry as wet weather had been funnelled into the east coast lows.
"A lot of it depends on where the high pressure systems are sitting," he said.
"We've had a couple of those east coast lows, but July in particular has been quite dry for much of the state."
It looks like it could be a mixed bag throughout the early days of August with a sunny weekend giving way to a fierce cold front early in the week, which may bring the first hint of snow to the Ballarat region.
"The next few days look pretty nice but it will get very cold from Tuesday," Mr Fejes said. "Snow is not out of the question. There will be another cold outbreak towards the end of the week
"We anticipate that August will be around average rainfall. Right now, there is a watch on for a La Nina event which would mean a greater chance of higher rainfall over spring as a La Nina would bring more rain bands down from the tropics."
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