The town of Alice Springs straddles the usually dry Todd River on the northern side of the MacDonnell Ranges. Alice Springs is located in Central Australia, also called the Red Centre, an arid environment consisting of several different deserts.
In Alice Springs, temperatures can vary by up to 28 �C (50 �F) and rainfall can vary quite dramatically from year to year. In summer, the average maximum temperature is in the high 30s, whereas in winter the average minimum temperature can be 7.5 �C (45.5 �F), with an average of 12.4 nights below freezing every annum. The elevation of the town is about 545 metres (1791 feet).
Under the K�ppen climate classification, Alice Springs has a desert climate (BWh). The annual average rainfall is 285.9 millimetres (11.3 in) which would make it a semi-arid climate except that its high evapo transpiration, or its aridity, makes it a desert climate. Annual precipitation is erratic, varying year to year in Alice Springs. In 2001 741 millimetres (29.2 in) fell and in 2002 only 198 millimetres (7.8 in) fell. The highest daily rainfall is 204.8 millimetres (8.06 in), recorded on 31 March 1988
