As residents woke to a thick frost, the Bureau of Metoerology (BoM) weather station at Tamworth airport recorded temperatures in the negatives on Sunday for only the fifth time this year.

According to the BoM, Tamworth reached a minimum daily temperature of -3.5 degrees on July 5, the coldest reading of the year by almost three whole degrees.

The BoM weather station at Armidale airport recorded a low of -2.3 degrees for the same day, meaning Tamworth shivered through a colder morning than residents of Armidale, which sits in the New England High Country.

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The previous coldest temperature for Tamworth in 2020 was a low of -0.7 degrees on June 6.

Armidale had a chilly start to the week, with the thermometer diving to -3.6 degrees on the morning of July 6, the coolest minimum temperature of the year so far for the city.

Walcha also dropped well below zero, with locals reporting of the temperature reached -7.3 degrees on Monday.

Gunnedah was slightly warmer during the cold snap over the weekend.

The BoM weather station at Gunnedah airport recorded a daily minimum of -2.4 degrees on Sunday, but Monday morning was even colder at -2.6 degrees.

Between freezing temperatures on Sunday and Monday, Armidale, Glen Innes, Tamworth, Gunnedah and Narrabri all had their coldest mornings of the year.

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The BoM is predicting early frosts but a warmer end to the week for Tamworth, which is positive news for kids out on school holidays this week and next.

Mostly sunny weather is expected for the rest of the week, with maximum temperatures in the high teens.

There is a chance of rain over the weekend. The BoM forecast shows a 50 per cent chance of up to 10mm of rain on Saturday and a 30 per cent chance of up to 4mm on Sunday.

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