WARWICK residents – especially those who enjoy their sunshine – can rejoice in the arrival of today’s date.

Tuesday, June 21, the winter solstice, marks the turning point where our days begin to get longer and hopefully, warmer.

Yesterday’s temperatures in Warwick plummeted to a chilly -2 degrees, trumping Stanthorpe’s minimum of 0 degrees.

Frosts are predicted to continue until Friday, before being interrupted by showers on Sunday.

Southern Downs and Granite Belt Regional Tourism (SDGBRT) general manager Stuart Perry said winter was proving to be a busy season for tourism operators.

“Obviously winter is a key time for the Southern Downs area and there are a lot of visitors into Stanthorpe and the Granite Belt in particular,” he said.

“It’s Brass Monkey season and a unique opportunity for the region to cash in on our colder climate.

“A lot of business operators are reporting signs of recovering and returning to normal visitation levels, but it’s still a battle out there and it will remain a battle until the end of the year.”

Mr Perry said large-scale events during the winter months helped draw tourists to the region.

“The big event that is coming up is the Jumpers and Jazz festival.

"That’s an opportunity for Warwick to celebrate the winter time,” he said.

“It’s such a unique event and I think it reflects the quirky approach to visitation that a lot of people have in our region.

“Jumpers and Jazz, along with the Brass Monkey season brand attracts visitors from right across the state, and especially interstate.”

While some might moan about colder temperatures and shorter days, Mr Perry said he felt many were proud to boast one of the state’s coldest regions.

“It sounds bizarre but I do think sometimes people boast about having the coldest temperatures,” he said.

“But from (today) the days will get longer and the nights shorter.”

With many events planned for the rest of the winter period, Mr Perry urged all locals to get involved as best they can.

“It’s something I’ve been stressing since the floods,” he said.

“We don’t put these events on for visitors alone – there are events where the community should get out there, celebrate it’s uniqueness, the arts and seasons.”

Tuesday June 21

• Sunrise at 6.37am
• Sunset at 5.02pm
• Length of day: 10 hrs, 24 mins, 15 secs
• Temperatures: 2-17 degrees