difference between oxford and central plains

[paws4nature]

Hi All, is there a general weather difference between Oxford and Rolleston. Or is there none? Oxford being closer to hills (and has hills!) does that mean the area gets more rainfall? Less strength in the strong hot norwesters? I live in Rolleston so know the general weather there but went out to Oxford the other day and am really interested in how the land might change the weather out there. Great forum by the way, cheers.

[Manukau heads obs]

there should be rainfall maps available online to show the rainfall distribution

as for the NWer, Oxford is not far from a gorge through to inland canterbury, where the NW wind flows out onto the plains...so just guessing here, being around the corner from that, it might be OK..but places just to the SW will get the NWer strong
someone with local knowledge will help more!

[snowstormwatcher]

Yeah being closer to the hills will make Oxford wetter, From Memory Oxford gets around 740mm of rain per year while most of the lower plains North of Rakaia would get around 600-650mm. Also being 220m asl theoretically Oxford should get more snow and get be slightly colder.

[Storm Struck]

The NWer can whip down the valleys quite vicously at times up there, its almost as if the channeling of the valleys helps to increase that downward wind over the foothills and through those gaps.
I work up near Oxford in Cust area and quite often the gusts come and go but can be very random with big gale build ups then dropping right back before returning again 30 minutes later.
Rainfall is simular to most of the region maybe gets abit more spillover from NW systems and sometimes though inland heat showers along the foothills, asides from that possibly abit more snow being close to 200m in some areas.
Also might be 1-2C warmer on days like yesterday away from the coastal NE winds even though they still push up inland.

[tich]

The plains get higher than 200m in Mid-Canterbury - Methven's about 300m, and Darfield (most would consider it to be mid-plains) is about 200m. Oxford might seem higher, but mountains rise right behind the township.

[paws4nature]

Thanks. I was there on Friday and felt a warm southerly blowing which is not common in Rolleston, so it got me thinking. Rain here today that is a bit exciting, haven't seen that for a while.

[RWood]

The 2 "latest" Oxford sites with means quoted in CliFlo:

(a) Oxford: H32222, alt.259m, records 1918-1973, 1951-1980 average cited as 1028mm.

(b) Oxford, Matai: H32312, alt.237m, records only 1999-2011, 1981-2010 average 855mm.

edit: There was also "Oxford 2", records 1973-1984.

[Razor]

Not rain here in ChCh today...yes Oxford gets a bit more NW wind and less easterly otherwise pretty similar to here. Few less of the winter 'chain showers' that hug the coast more but offset by more spillover rain occasionally from the west

[RWood]

Not rain here in ChCh today...yes Oxford gets a bit more NW wind and less easterly otherwise pretty similar to here. Few less of the winter 'chain showers' that hug the coast more but offset by more spillover rain occasionally from the west

The spillover effect shows up in the spring rainfall means, which don't show the post-winter drop that the eastern coasts from Ch'ch north experience.