Nelson climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Nelson?

Nelson has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 12.0 °C and it receives 1,357 mm of precipitation per year.

Q: What is the hottest day ever recorded in Nelson?

The hottest day measured in Nelson between 1940 and 2025 was 7 February 1973, reaching 28.2 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Nelson?

The coldest day measured in Nelson between 1940 and 2025 was 11 July 1965, at -3.6 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Nelson?

Yes. Nelson gets on average 1.5 cm of snow per year and has around 0 frost days.

Q: Has the climate of Nelson warmed?

Yes: Nelson warmed by +1.4 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Nelson?

The wettest day measured in Nelson between 1940 and 2025 was 7 May 1955, with 113 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Nelson?

The windiest day measured in Nelson between 1940 and 2025 was 7 September 1994, with winds reaching 54.0 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Nelson?

The warmest month in Nelson is February (16.5 °C on average); the coldest is July (7.5 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Nelson?

Nelson receives on average 1,357 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 134 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Nelson?

Nelson gets on average 9.9 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,614 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Nelson (New Zealand) has a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 12.0 °C and it receives 1,357 mm of precipitation per year.

These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.

The warmest month is February (16.5 °C on average) and the coldest is July (7.5 °C). Rainfall peaks in October.

Nelson averages 0 frost days, 0 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 134 rainy days per year.

Nelson has warmed by +1.4 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.17 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.

The hottest day of the period reached 28.2 °C (on 7 February 1973) and the coldest -3.6 °C (on 11 July 1965).

Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.

Climate normals · ERA5

NelsonNelson Region

coords: -41.27°, 173.28°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

CfbTemperate oceanicWarmest monthFebruaryColdest monthJulyWettest monthOctoberDriest monthFebruary

Mean daily temperature

12.0°C

Average daily high

14.6°C

Average daily low

9.5°C

Annual rainfall

1,357mm

Sunshine / day

9.9h

Mean relative humidity

79%

Average peak wind

16.9km/h

Seasonal range

9.0°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

0 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

134 d/yr

Annual snowfall

1.5 cm

Average feels-like high

13.3 °C

Average feels-like low

7.4 °C

Average peak gust

32.5 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

0 d/yr

Solar radiation

15.2 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+1.4 °C

since 1940

+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.61 · p = < 0.001

19402025

Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).

A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.

Records for the period

Hottest day

28.2 °C

7 February 1973

Coldest day

-3.6 °C

11 July 1965

Wettest day

113 mm

7 May 1955

Windiest day

54.0 km/h

7 September 1994

Strongest gust

121.0 km/h

25 December 1987

Hottest feels-like

31.0 °C

25 January 2018

Coldest feels-like

-8.3 °C

11 July 1965

Snowiest day

7.1 cm

16 July 1976

Sunniest day

15.0 h

29 December 1941

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Frost days
2025	23.8 °C9 February 2025	3.1 °C23 July 2025	12.9 °C	1,741 mm	0
2024	23.4 °C6 February 2024	2.8 °C2 August 2024	12.7 °C	1,159 mm	0
2023	24.1 °C21 February 2023	2.4 °C11 August 2023	13.0 °C	1,390 mm	0
2022	24.0 °C19 January 2022	2.6 °C6 October 2022	13.0 °C	1,836 mm	0
2021	25.5 °C27 January 2021	3.1 °C11 July 2021	12.8 °C	1,589 mm	0
2020	25.7 °C25 January 2020	2.9 °C3 July 2020	12.6 °C	1,259 mm	0
2019	26.1 °C28 January 2019	2.1 °C6 June 2019	13.0 °C	1,258 mm	0
2018	26.7 °C24 January 2018	2.6 °C8 September 2018	12.9 °C	1,427 mm	0
2017	24.2 °C5 December 2017	2.2 °C29 July 2017	12.7 °C	1,416 mm	0
2016	24.6 °C26 February 2016	1.7 °C7 August 2016	12.9 °C	1,549 mm	0
2015	24.6 °C21 December 2015	1.5 °C9 August 2015	12.3 °C	1,085 mm	0
2014	23.1 °C30 January 2014	2.9 °C18 July 2014	12.2 °C	1,347 mm	0
2013	22.5 °C31 January 2013	1.6 °C23 June 2013	12.8 °C	1,422 mm	0
2012	22.3 °C5 January 2012	2.2 °C30 June 2012	11.9 °C	1,360 mm	0
2011	24.1 °C6 February 2011	0.9 °C26 July 2011	12.2 °C	1,672 mm	0
2010	22.4 °C7 February 2010	2.6 °C11 August 2010	12.4 °C	1,436 mm	0
2009	26.7 °C8 February 2009	1.9 °C19 June 2009	11.6 °C	1,255 mm	0
2008	23.4 °C17 January 2008	1.4 °C10 August 2008	12.2 °C	1,533 mm	0
2007	22.9 °C23 January 2007	2.1 °C7 July 2007	12.2 °C	999 mm	0
2006	22.4 °C30 January 2006	2.3 °C14 August 2006	11.9 °C	1,326 mm	0
2005	24.2 °C15 January 2005	2.8 °C20 September 2005	12.6 °C	895 mm	0
2004	24.7 °C2 January 2004	2.1 °C17 August 2004	11.8 °C	1,519 mm	0
2003	22.8 °C11 February 2003	2.4 °C6 July 2003	12.1 °C	1,119 mm	0
2002	22.0 °C24 January 2002	2.4 °C14 October 2002	12.2 °C	978 mm	0
2001	23.8 °C25 February 2001	1.3 °C16 August 2001	12.2 °C	1,217 mm	0
2000	23.0 °C24 February 2000	2.6 °C23 August 2000	12.2 °C	1,309 mm	0
1999	23.9 °C7 January 1999	2.3 °C31 July 1999	12.5 °C	1,398 mm	0
1998	24.7 °C31 January 1998	2.3 °C21 August 1998	12.6 °C	1,842 mm	0
1997	23.8 °C21 February 1997	2.1 °C22 August 1997	11.8 °C	1,011 mm	0
1996	22.1 °C17 January 1996	2.0 °C31 July 1996	11.8 °C	1,479 mm	0
1995	23.5 °C18 February 1995	2.0 °C18 July 1995	12.0 °C	1,797 mm	0
1994	23.7 °C12 February 1994	2.3 °C10 August 1994	11.9 °C	1,242 mm	0
1993	22.6 °C19 January 1993	2.1 °C29 June 1993	11.4 °C	1,316 mm	0
1992	22.0 °C24 January 1992	2.5 °C23 August 1992	11.2 °C	1,337 mm	0
1991	22.9 °C15 February 1991	1.9 °C21 June 1991	11.7 °C	1,160 mm	0
1990	23.6 °C5 February 1990	2.6 °C12 June 1990	12.5 °C	1,388 mm	0
1989	21.7 °C13 March 1989	2.1 °C22 July 1989	12.2 °C	1,564 mm	0
1988	25.2 °C13 January 1988	2.2 °C13 August 1988	12.3 °C	1,442 mm	0
1987	22.9 °C13 January 1987	2.7 °C5 July 1987	12.2 °C	1,428 mm	0
1986	23.2 °C18 January 1986	2.1 °C27 July 1986	12.0 °C	1,535 mm	0
1985	24.4 °C16 January 1985	2.1 °C15 August 1985	12.1 °C	1,414 mm	0
1984	23.5 °C14 February 1984	2.6 °C8 August 1984	12.1 °C	1,303 mm	0
1983	22.9 °C9 March 1983	1.7 °C25 July 1983	11.8 °C	1,650 mm	0
1982	24.1 °C15 February 1982	2.7 °C9 July 1982	11.8 °C	1,043 mm	0
1981	24.3 °C26 January 1981	1.7 °C5 August 1981	12.2 °C	1,410 mm	0
1980	24.8 °C14 January 1980	2.1 °C17 July 1980	11.9 °C	1,319 mm	0
1979	24.7 °C10 January 1979	1.8 °C21 August 1979	12.1 °C	1,386 mm	0
1978	23.3 °C13 February 1978	1.5 °C29 June 1978	12.3 °C	1,394 mm	0
1977	22.1 °C16 February 1977	1.8 °C5 August 1977	11.4 °C	1,335 mm	0
1976	21.7 °C19 February 1976	-0.2 °C20 July 1976	11.4 °C	1,717 mm	1
1975	23.7 °C3 January 1975	1.5 °C27 June 1975	12.1 °C	1,425 mm	0
1974	23.1 °C22 January 1974	2.2 °C12 July 1974	12.0 °C	1,582 mm	0
1973	28.2 °C7 February 1973	2.0 °C17 August 1973	12.3 °C	1,098 mm	0
1972	21.5 °C8 February 1972	2.2 °C6 July 1972	12.0 °C	1,325 mm	0
1971	24.9 °C10 February 1971	2.6 °C19 August 1971	12.3 °C	1,364 mm	0
1970	24.4 °C6 February 1970	2.4 °C16 July 1970	12.4 °C	1,508 mm	0
1969	22.3 °C21 January 1969	2.2 °C2 July 1969	11.8 °C	1,281 mm	0
1968	22.9 °C26 February 1968	2.2 °C2 July 1968	11.8 °C	1,517 mm	0
1967	23.3 °C24 February 1967	2.6 °C24 July 1967	11.9 °C	1,526 mm	0
1966	22.8 °C25 February 1966	1.9 °C21 July 1966	11.5 °C	1,604 mm	0
1965	22.3 °C8 March 1965	-3.6 °C11 July 1965	11.3 °C	1,224 mm	4
1964	22.6 °C1 February 1964	3.0 °C2 September 1964	11.6 °C	1,331 mm	0
1963	23.3 °C2 January 1963	0.0 °C9 August 1963	11.5 °C	1,329 mm	0
1962	27.0 °C19 January 1962	1.4 °C6 August 1962	12.1 °C	1,679 mm	0
1961	24.2 °C2 January 1961	1.5 °C25 July 1961	11.8 °C	969 mm	0
1960	27.5 °C13 January 1960	1.5 °C12 August 1960	11.5 °C	1,264 mm	0
1959	24.6 °C26 January 1959	1.6 °C24 July 1959	11.4 °C	1,207 mm	0
1958	23.4 °C1 March 1958	1.7 °C12 July 1958	11.8 °C	1,137 mm	0
1957	24.0 °C3 March 1957	-1.5 °C9 July 1957	11.6 °C	1,243 mm	3
1956	28.0 °C21 January 1956	1.7 °C23 June 1956	12.0 °C	1,727 mm	0
1955	23.5 °C9 March 1955	2.3 °C13 July 1955	12.1 °C	1,727 mm	0
1954	23.2 °C2 January 1954	1.6 °C19 June 1954	11.8 °C	1,229 mm	0
1953	23.3 °C30 January 1953	2.1 °C15 July 1953	11.4 °C	1,198 mm	0
1952	26.2 °C8 February 1952	1.6 °C22 July 1952	11.2 °C	1,181 mm	0
1951	21.7 °C14 January 1951	-0.1 °C3 July 1951	10.7 °C	1,208 mm	1
1950	23.7 °C8 January 1950	1.7 °C8 August 1950	11.4 °C	987 mm	0
1949	22.7 °C23 January 1949	1.5 °C16 August 1949	11.1 °C	1,349 mm	0
1948	22.4 °C12 February 1948	2.3 °C15 June 1948	11.2 °C	1,316 mm	0
1947	23.7 °C1 February 1947	1.1 °C31 July 1947	11.0 °C	1,117 mm	0
1946	22.9 °C2 February 1946	1.6 °C7 June 1946	11.2 °C	1,231 mm	0
1945	22.6 °C28 November 1945	1.3 °C23 July 1945	11.1 °C	1,588 mm	0
1944	22.1 °C17 January 1944	1.3 °C23 June 1944	11.2 °C	1,167 mm	0
1943	21.9 °C5 February 1943	1.8 °C12 August 1943	11.1 °C	1,272 mm	0
1942	22.4 °C18 January 1942	1.5 °C9 July 1942	11.6 °C	1,550 mm	0
1941	23.0 °C20 February 1941	2.6 °C10 July 1941	11.1 °C	1,053 mm	0
1940	23.7 °C16 February 1940	1.8 °C18 August 1940	11.4 °C	1,186 mm	0

Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.

A specific year

Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?

Year

Across the whole year

Average daily high

15.5 °C

+0.9 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

0 d/yr

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Annual rainfall

1741 mm

+384 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	18.3 °C	-0.8 °C	136 mm	+45 mm
Feb	20.0 °C	+0.7 °C	58 mm	-31 mm
Mar	19.4 °C	+1.6 °C	33 mm	-71 mm
Apr	16.6 °C	+1.2 °C	304 mm	+195 mm
May	14.6 °C	+1.6 °C	149 mm	+19 mm
Jun	11.8 °C	+1.1 °C	273 mm	+154 mm
Jul	10.9 °C	+0.9 °C	273 mm	+152 mm
Aug	11.1 °C	+0.5 °C	51 mm	-74 mm
Sep	13.0 °C	+0.9 °C	84 mm	-25 mm
Oct	14.8 °C	+0.9 °C	169 mm	+37 mm
Nov	17.4 °C	+1.7 °C	116 mm	+3 mm
Dec	18.4 °C	+0.9 °C	98 mm	-19 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

23.8 °C

9 Feb 2025

Coldest day

3.1 °C

23 Jul 2025

Wettest day

94.3 mm

26 Jun 2025

Windiest day

39.9 km/h

21 Sep 2025

Strongest gust

83.2 km/h

30 Dec 2025

Hottest feels-like

26.5 °C

9 Feb 2025

Coldest feels-like

-0.9 °C

8 Jun 2025

Sunniest day

15.0 h

28 Dec 2025

What was the weather like that day?

Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.

Date

Frequently asked questions

What is the climate of Nelson?

Nelson has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 12.0 °C and it receives 1,357 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Nelson?

The hottest day measured in Nelson between 1940 and 2025 was 7 February 1973, reaching 28.2 °C.

What is the coldest day in Nelson?

The coldest day measured in Nelson between 1940 and 2025 was 11 July 1965, at -3.6 °C.

Does it snow in Nelson?

Yes. Nelson gets on average 1.5 cm of snow per year and has around 0 frost days.

Has the climate of Nelson warmed?

Yes: Nelson warmed by +1.4 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Nelson?

The wettest day measured in Nelson between 1940 and 2025 was 7 May 1955, with 113 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Nelson?

The windiest day measured in Nelson between 1940 and 2025 was 7 September 1994, with winds reaching 54.0 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Nelson?

The warmest month in Nelson is February (16.5 °C on average); the coldest is July (7.5 °C).

How much does it rain in Nelson?

Nelson receives on average 1,357 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 134 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Nelson?

Nelson gets on average 9.9 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,614 hours per year over 1940-2025.

What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Nelson?

The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Nelson between 1940 and 2025 was 16 July 1976, with 7.1 cm.

Are there tropical nights in Nelson?

Almost never: tropical nights (temperature staying above 20 °C) are virtually non-existent in Nelson.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Nelson?

In Nelson, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 31.0 °C on 25 January 2018, and the lowest was -8.3 °C on 11 July 1965.

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