THIS has not been a winter that will go into the record books for being hotter, colder, drier or wetter than any other.

But it has been a winter that has brought joy to everyone from farmers to alpine resort operators.

While the final numbers are yet to be crunched, experts suggest the winter was milder and drier than normal.

Sydney has been basking in warm, sunny days, with thousands flocking to beaches and parks. The thermometer hit a maximum 25C on Saturday, the highest all winter.

The warm conditions were highlighted by an earlier than expected start to the bushfire season, with volunteer firefighters battling nearly 30 fires in southern NSW, including in the Bega Valley.

At the opposite end of the scale, there have been plenty of smiles from resort operators, with the alpine areas reporting good falls of snow. Yesterday Charlotte Pass in NSW, for example, was recording a snow depth of 155cm.

Farmers, too, have had a generally good winter. While some areas remain drought-declared, conditions have improved. Much of thecropping belt across inland NSW had above average rainfall this month, providing a boost to the winter sowing season.

Prospects for spring also look good.

Don White, of the consultancy firm Weatherwatch, says there is now a neutral weather pattern across the Pacific. “We are out of theEl Nino, which brought the drought of the last 18 months, but we haven’t moved into a La Nina, which would bring wetter conditions.

“I think spring will bring a few smiles to the farmers’ faces.”

And farmers aren’t the only ones smiling.

As Sydney basked in perfect sunshine yesterday, two-year-old Jay Cleversley was bundled into the car with his parents Alan and Catherine and taken for a drive in the country and a trip to the local flower show.

“Last year he was a bit too young to enjoy springtime and summer but this year he will be able to,” said Mr Cleversley. “We are really looking forward to it. We will definitely be able to take him to the park more often now and give him a bit more time to run around and enjoy himself.”

But it was not all good news. A week ago yesterday, gale force winds swept the entire eastern seaboard, creating havoc in Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle and widespread flooding and damage everywhere from Tasmania to Queensland. More than 100,000 people were left without power and thousands of houses and cars were damaged.

There are fears there could be at least a minor replay over the coming days, with strong wind warnings for all Victorian coastal waters operating today as a high pressure system moves across the Bight. Strong winds and showers are also expected across the southern half of NSW.