RESIDENTS across the Southern Downs awoke to the undeniable presence of frost this morning, with temperatures plummeting to just -2.8°c for Warwick and -2.5°c for Applethorpe.

The freezing temps follow yesterday's chilly morning, when the mercury dropped to -2.1°c in Warwick and -3.8°c in Stanthorpe.

This was a significant plunge from minimums of 11.8°c and 8.7 degrees respectively recorded on Monday.

Weatherzone's Rob Sharpe noted that, for Stanthorpe, this is the coolest morning this early in the season since 2006.

This autumn has seen just above average temperatures for both minimum and maximum temperatures, averaging 0.2°c above average for the season.

Warwick recorded 169mls of rain for the last three months which is just above the average of 150mls for the season.

While the city had lower than average rainfall for March; April and May were above average.

Stanthorpe recorded similar results, with the three month rainfall of 180mls being slightly above the average of 164mls.

Overall, the Granite Belt and Darling Downs has faired much better in the rain stakes than the rest of the state, with the exception of the south-east coast.

Rob Sharpe of Weatherzone said that due to the strenthening El Nino pattern, the Granite Belt and Darling Downs was likely to experience a warmer, drier winter.

In a similar pattern to last season, the region is likely to fair better than the rest of the state, the majority of which is likely to be very dry with the exception of a few pockets.

"The rainfall pattern we are seeing is typical of El Nino" Mr Sharpe said.

Darling Downs and Granite Belt residents this week can expect the next few mornings to be quite similar - a frosty start giving way to a clear, sunny day with some light winds.

The Bureau of Meteorology advises that a high-pressure system is pushing cooler air from the south which is expected to contract northwards over the next few days.

Average temperatures for the week range from minimums of -1°c to 1°c to maximums ranging from 15°c to19°c leading into the weekend.

Temperatures are expected to gradually rise towards the end of the week for a milder weekend ahead, with predictions for Sunday's temperatures to be a minimum of 1°c with a maximum of 17°c for Stanthorpe and 3°c to 20°c for Warwick.