Bultfontein climate — normals and trends
Bultfontein (South Africa) has a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 17.0 °C and it receives 577 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 January (23.3 °C on average) and the coldest is July (8.8 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.
Bultfontein averages 21 frost days, 77 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 83 rainy days per year.
Bultfontein has warmed by +0.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.10 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The number of frost days there went from about 17 to 25 per year over the period.
The hottest day of the period reached 40.9 °C (on 6 January 2016) and the coldest -7.0 °C (on 26 June 1992).
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
BultfonteinFree State
- coords
- -28.29°, 26.15°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
17.0°C
Average daily high
24.9°C
Average daily low
10.5°C
Annual rainfall
577mm
Sunshine / day
11.0h
Mean relative humidity
55%
Average peak wind
17.4km/h
Seasonal range
14.5°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
21 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
77 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
83 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
23.5 °C
Average feels-like low
8.2 °C
Average peak gust
35.6 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
7 d/yr
Solar radiation
20.9 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+0.8 °C
since 1940
+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.15 · p = < 0.001
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
40.9 °C
6 January 2016
Coldest day
-7.0 °C
26 June 1992
Wettest day
149 mm
22 December 1956
Windiest day
49.8 km/h
31 October 1985
Strongest gust
92.2 km/h
31 October 1985
Hottest feels-like
39.8 °C
27 November 2023
Coldest feels-like
-11.3 °C
26 June 1992
Snowiest day
3.0 cm
7 July 1996
Sunniest day
13.7 h
16 December 2025
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?
Across the whole year
Month by month
| High | vs. normal | Precipitation | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32.5 °C | +2.4 °C | 48 mm | -43 mm |
| Feb | 30.5 °C | +1.7 °C | 56 mm | -25 mm |
| Mar | 27.5 °C | +0.2 °C | 121 mm | +48 mm |
| Apr | 22.0 °C | -2.0 °C | 213 mm | +160 mm |
| May | 21.1 °C | +0.2 °C | 3 mm | -17 mm |
| Jun | 18.7 °C | +0.9 °C | 7 mm | -3 mm |
| Jul | 19.3 °C | +1.3 °C | 8 mm | -0 mm |
| Aug | 23.1 °C | +2.1 °C | 7 mm | -7 mm |
| Sep | 26.4 °C | +1.2 °C | 45 mm | +28 mm |
| Oct | 27.4 °C | 0.0 °C | 52 mm | +0 mm |
| Nov | 26.4 °C | -2.1 °C | 136 mm | +62 mm |
| Dec | 29.0 °C | -0.9 °C | 100 mm | +16 mm |
The year's extremes
What was the weather like that day?
Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.
Frequently asked questions
What is the climate of Bultfontein?
Bultfontein has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 17.0 °C and it receives 577 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Bultfontein?
The hottest day measured in Bultfontein between 1940 and 2025 was 6 January 2016, reaching 40.9 °C.
What is the coldest day in Bultfontein?
The coldest day measured in Bultfontein between 1940 and 2025 was 26 June 1992, at -7.0 °C.
Does it snow in Bultfontein?
Almost never: Bultfontein sees virtually no snow, with about 21 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Bultfontein warmed?
Yes: Bultfontein warmed by +0.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Bultfontein?
The wettest day measured in Bultfontein between 1940 and 2025 was 22 December 1956, with 149 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Bultfontein?
The windiest day measured in Bultfontein between 1940 and 2025 was 31 October 1985, with winds reaching 49.8 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Bultfontein?
The warmest month in Bultfontein is January (23.3 °C on average); the coldest is July (8.8 °C).
How much does it rain in Bultfontein?
Bultfontein receives on average 577 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 83 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Bultfontein?
Bultfontein gets on average 11.0 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 4,015 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Bultfontein?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Bultfontein between 1940 and 2025 was 7 July 1996, with 3.0 cm.
Are there tropical nights in Bultfontein?
Yes: Bultfontein has on average 7 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Bultfontein?
In Bultfontein, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 39.8 °C on 27 November 2023, and the lowest was -11.3 °C on 26 June 1992.
Compare Bultfontein with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Bultfontein