Palmerston North weather by month & the best time to visit
New Zealand · small town · oceanic / maritime climate
The best time to visit Palmerston North is January — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 81/100), with February and March close behind. Palmerston North averages about 2,196 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 23°C / 73°F and roughly 58 mm of rain in January.
When is the best time to visit Palmerston North?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Palmerston North is January, then February and March. The dullest month is July (25/100, 92 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Palmerston North?
Palmerston North gets a moderate 2,196 hours of sunshine a year. 56 Sunshine Score points separate January (81) from July (25), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #19 of 26 destinations in New Zealand for annual sunshine, below the national median of 2,342 hours. The year's 948 mm of rain spreads fairly evenly across the months, with no pronounced dry season.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 81 | 23° / 73°F | 13° / 55°F | 58 mm | 9 |
| February | 80 | 23° / 73°F | 13° / 55°F | 61 mm | 8 |
| March | 80 | 21° / 70°F | 12° / 54°F | 63 mm | 6 |
| April | 64 | 18° / 64°F | 10° / 50°F | 78 mm | 4 |
| May | 44 | 15° / 59°F | 8° / 46°F | 86 mm | 2 |
| June | 31 | 13° / 55°F | 7° / 45°F | 99 mm | 1 |
| July | 25 | 12° / 54°F | 6° / 43°F | 92 mm | 1 |
| August | 25 | 12° / 54°F | 6° / 43°F | 86 mm | 2 |
| September | 38 | 14° / 57°F | 7° / 45°F | 82 mm | 3 |
| October | 50 | 16° / 61°F | 8° / 46°F | 90 mm | 5 |
| November | 66 | 18° / 64°F | 10° / 50°F | 71 mm | 7 |
| December | 77 | 21° / 70°F | 12° / 54°F | 82 mm | 8 |
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
How Palmerston North compares month by month: Palmerston North vs Wellington · Palmerston North vs New Plymouth · Palmerston North vs Napier · Palmerston North vs Blenheim · all comparisons
Palmerston North: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Palmerston North?
Palmerston North is a small town in New Zealand with a oceanic / maritime climate.
How many hours of sunshine does Palmerston North get a year?
Palmerston North gets about 2,196 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around January.
When is the best time to visit Palmerston North?
The sunniest time to visit Palmerston North is January, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 81/100 (with February and March close behind). Expect daytime highs around 23°C / 73°F.
What is the least sunny month in Palmerston North?
July is the least sunny month in Palmerston North, scoring 25/100 with about 92 mm of rain.
How strong is the sun in Palmerston North?
The typical midday UV index in Palmerston North peaks around 9 (very high) in January, easing to about 1 (low) in June. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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