TEMPERATURES dived to 9C below July's average in Cairns yesterday morning but Tableland farmers survived widespread frost with little crop damage.

The cold snap on the Tableland, with unofficial ground temperatures of -3C at Ravenshoe and -2C at Tolga, stopped short of causing extensive damage to the region’s crops.

Cairns residents woke to a chilly 8C, making it the coldest day on record since 2001 but it fell 1C short of the 1965 record of 7.3C.

Weather bureau duty forecaster Alicia Duncanson said the cold snap was a bad one but the temperature was now on the way up.

"This morning should be the worst and from now on the temperature should come up one to two degrees a day and by the end of the weekend, averages should be back to normal," she said.

"There was a pool of cool air from the Darling Downs area and that was pushed north by southerly winds."

Ms Duncanson said the frosts on the Tableland did not devastate crops because the temperature did not fall below -2C, which is the temperature at which anti-freeze is no longer effective.

Many farmers in traditionally frost-prone areas recorded a light frost but nothing capable of causing significant damage. They credit a light wind with preventing significant crop losses.

Kairi farmer Pombey Pezzelato, who suffered losses of $150,000 when the temperature plummeted to -5C in July last year, was yesterday happy to escape a repeat episode.

"We sprayed anti-freeze and while we had a touch of frost, we were pretty lucky," he said.

"We will have to wait a few days to see if there has been any damage but I think we will be OK."

Ms Duncanson said Far Northerners should be braced for another dip in temperatures on Monday or Tuesday but it was unlikely to be as serious as the recent cold snap.

"At this stage, the cool air is not as intense," she said.

"We are expecting some frost on the Tableland but we are watching the situation because a lot can change in seven days."

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