As all of our rivers continue to run and our dams climb steadily higher, the temperatures are set to go south from today.

The weather bureau forecasts a series of cold fronts will move across NSW in the next couple of days. Gusty winds are expected with the passage of the fronts, as well as a very cold air mass in their wake today. 

A high-pressure system will then move over NSW later today, resulting in a gradual decrease in wind strength.

Tamworth from today can expect a drop in temperatures of around five degrees during the day, and about eight or even more at night.

Ahead of the lows came a little more rain – with showers across yesterday, including some more falls in the catchment above Chaffey Dam (pictured right).

Chaffey stood at just over 42 per cent of its new larger capacity at 10am yesterday – a rise of just over 7 per cent in 10 days. 

The new high-water mark is the highest the dam has been since October 31, 2013 – and on the old scale of the smaller Chaffey dam equal to about 72 per cent.

That new level will be the focus of a council news announcement today, when Tamworth Regional Council will make a decision about the fact the dam is now at a trigger level under its new drought management plan that says water restrictions only changed last weekend should be eased further.

Under the water plan adopted only months ago, and after consultation with water users and residents, Chaffey’s water rules should change once the dam reaches 40 per cent.

Keepit Dam, which is about four times the capacity of Chaffey, continues to rise too. It has put on 3 per cent in less than a week; Split Rock Dam, to the north-east of Keepit and about 23,000 megalitres smaller, is also rising but a lot slower than the two other star performers and is holding about a quarter of the water Keepit is holding right now.