Queenstown weather by month & the best time to visit
New Zealand · alpine / mountain town · oceanic / maritime climate
The best time to visit Queenstown is February — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 74/100), with January and December close behind. Queenstown averages about 2,268 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 20°C / 68°F and roughly 100 mm of rain in February.
When is the best time to visit Queenstown?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Queenstown is February, then January and December. The dullest month is June (0/100, 103 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Queenstown?
Queenstown gets a moderate 2,268 hours of sunshine a year. 74 Sunshine Score points separate February (74) from June (0), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #15 of 26 destinations in New Zealand for annual sunshine, below the national median of 2,342 hours. The year's 1,279 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 | 70 | 20° / 68°F | 10° / 50°F | 121 mm | 8 |
| February | 74 | 20° / 68°F | 10° / 50°F | 100 mm | 7 |
| March | 62 | 18° / 64°F | 8° / 46°F | 95 mm | 5 |
| April | 37 | 14° / 57°F | 6° / 43°F | 98 mm | 3 |
| May | 12 | 10° / 50°F | 4° / 39°F | 121 mm | 1 |
| June | 0 | 7° / 45°F | 2° / 36°F | 103 mm | 1 |
| July | 0 | 7° / 45°F | 1° / 34°F | 96 mm | 1 |
| August | 0 | 8° / 46°F | 2° / 36°F | 89 mm | 1 |
| September | 18 | 11° / 52°F | 3° / 37°F | 110 mm | 3 |
| October | 29 | 13° / 55°F | 4° / 39°F | 117 mm | 4 |
| November | 48 | 16° / 61°F | 6° / 43°F | 109 mm | 6 |
| December | 64 | 19° / 66°F | 9° / 48°F | 120 mm | 8 |
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Queenstown: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Queenstown?
Queenstown is a alpine / mountain town in New Zealand at 355 m elevation with a oceanic / maritime climate.
How many hours of sunshine does Queenstown get a year?
Queenstown gets about 2,268 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around February.
When is the best time to visit Queenstown?
The sunniest time to visit Queenstown is February, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 74/100 (with January and December close behind). Expect daytime highs around 20°C / 68°F.
What is the least sunny month in Queenstown?
June is the least sunny month in Queenstown, scoring 0/100 with about 103 mm of rain.
How strong is the sun in Queenstown?
The typical midday UV index in Queenstown peaks around 8 (very high) in January, easing to about 1 (low) in May. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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