Launceston, Tasmania has a cool, temperate climate, with four distinct seasons. The city is located in the Tamar Valley in Northern Tasmania and is surrounded by many large hills and mountains. With this type of topography, Launceston's weather patterns can change considerably in a short period. Background The warmest months are in January and February with an average air temperature range of up to . Throughout the year there is an average of 4.3 days a year over . The maximum recorded temperature was on 30 January 2009, with Launceston Airport reaching on that same day, during the 2009 Southeastern Australia heat wave. Having 2,500 hours of annual sunshine, Launceston is sunnier than Melbourne, a northward city in mainland Australia, which only receives around 2,300 hours of annual sunshine. Winters are cool with minimum temperatures dropping below an average of 61 days a year. The coldest month is July, with an average temperature range of - . The lowest recorded minimum at Launceston's current weather station, Ti Tree Bend was . Unlike many other areas of Tasmania and as well as a number of cities in the northern hemisphere that lie on the same latitude (such as Chicago, Cleveland, Tashkent, Tbilisi and Shenyang), Launceston rarely receives snowfall and is relatively mild. Winter, for Launceston, is also the season with the least amount of wind. Because of this and the topographical effect of the Tamar Valley, Launceston winters are renowned for foggy mornings, with Launceston Airport the most fog-bound commercial airport in Australia. The average annual rainfall, with moderate to low variability is , with falling an average of 88.4 days a year. The most rain Ti Tree Bend has received in a year was in 1992, though Launceston Airport received during 1956. As in most of Tasmania, 2006 was the driest year when just fell. Precipitation There is an average of of rain a year ( at the airport). Cold fronts in winter account for much of this precipitation, with mountains surrounding Launceston regularly receiving snow in autumn, winter and spring. Launceston annual rainfall is somewhat lower than that of surrounding areas, particularly further north in the Tamar valley. This is due to the rain shadow effect of the Western Tiers located West of the city. Seasonal conditions Launceston has a cool, temperate climate, with four distinct seasons. Surrounded by many large hills and mountains, Launceston's weather patterns can change