JANUARY has hit Casterton with plenty of warm spells but still found time to leave the town out in the cold, while events of late last year also contributed to unpredictable conditions.

Temperatures passed 30 degrees nine days out of 31, with the highest passing 38 degrees on Saturday 14.

Conversely, they failed to make it past 19 on Wednesday 18 and Sunday 29 and dropped as low as seven degrees on the last day of the month.

Through the whole month, an average maximum of 27.0 and minimum of 12.1 were recorded – the former below average.

While January has historically been the warmest month on average, Casterton may have to wait a little longer to really cool down.

February temperatures usually hover around the same figures recorded in the last month, and a 53 per cent chance of above median high

Minimum temperatures, meanwhile, are likely to be warmer than the usual 12.3 degrees.

Rainfall, meanwhile, has been relatively lacklustre with just 20 millimetres recorded through January – well below the average 32.1.

With just three days where any rainfall was recorded at all, the figure was helped largely by a 12.8mm downpour recorded on Wednesday 18, after 17 dry days.

In February – historically the driest month on average – just a 55 per cent chance of above median rainfall means another dry spell can be expected.