Weather records have been collected at the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute (elevation 214m above sea level) for over 100 years, and the Institute is an important second local recording site for the Bureau of Meteorology.

Data recorded shows that over the past 100 years, there has been a gradual, but steady, increase in average annual rainfall from 480mm in the early part of the 20th century, to the current average of 580mm. Rainfall distribution across the year, on average, is relatively even at 48 mm/month, even during the summer months.

The climate can best be described as temperate, with hot dry summers and cold winters. Mean daily maximum temperatures range from 12.5ºC in July to 31.2ºC  in January. Summer temperatures can regularly approach, or exceed, 40ºC [ for up to a week at a time. Mean daily minimum temperatures range from 2.7ºC in July to 16.2ºC in February, with many frosts occurring during the winter months.

In December 2010 WWAI recorded its wettest year on record with rainfall in nine of the twelve  months exceeding the long term monthly average.

 

Growing season rainfall was slightly more than average. However, this was "book-ended" by extraordinary rainfall events in February and March; October and December. The February–March rainfall established a full profile of soil moisture for cropping. The October–December rain caused some flooding in the district and ruined the quality potential of crops. This rainfall pattern is more typical of northern Australia than southern NSW.