Nelson weather by month & the best time to visit
🇳🇿 New Zealand · seaside town · oceanic / maritime climate
The best time to visit Nelson is February — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 82/100), with March and November close behind. Nelson averages about 2,486 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 25°C / 77°F and roughly 60 mm of rain in February.
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- Sun hours / year
- 2,486
- Sunniest month
- February
- Peak score
- 82/100
- Rain / year
- 983 mm
- Midday UV at peak
- 9 (very high)
- Sea at warmest
- 22°C / 72°F
- Population
- 54k
- Elevation
- Sea level
When is the best time to visit Nelson?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Nelson is February, then March and November. The dullest month is July (20/100, 84 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Nelson?
Nelson gets a moderate 2,486 hours of sunshine a year. 62 Sunshine Score points separate February (82) from July (20), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #5 of 26 destinations in New Zealand for annual sunshine, above the national median of 2,342 hours. The year's 983 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 | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 80 | 25° / 77°F | 14° / 57°F | 71 mm | 9 | 22° / 72°F |
| February | 82 | 25° / 77°F | 14° / 57°F | 60 mm | 8 | 22° / 72°F |
| March | 81 | 23° / 73°F | 12° / 54°F | 68 mm | 6 | 20° / 68°F |
| April | 71 | 19° / 66°F | 10° / 50°F | 88 mm | 3 | 17° / 63°F |
| May | 44 | 15° / 59°F | 8° / 46°F | 95 mm | 2 | 15° / 59°F |
| June | 25 | 12° / 54°F | 6° / 43°F | 104 mm | 1 | 13° / 55°F |
| July | 20 | 11° / 52°F | 5° / 41°F | 84 mm | 1 | 12° / 54°F |
| August | 33 | 13° / 55°F | 6° / 43°F | 81 mm | 2 | 12° / 54°F |
| September | 46 | 15° / 59°F | 7° / 45°F | 80 mm | 3 | 13° / 55°F |
| October | 58 | 17° / 63°F | 8° / 46°F | 91 mm | 5 | 15° / 59°F |
| November | 81 | 20° / 68°F | 10° / 50°F | 66 mm | 7 | 18° / 64°F |
| December | 76 | 22° / 72°F | 12° / 54°F | 95 mm | 8 | 21° / 70°F |
Sea temperature in Nelson by month
The sea off Nelson is warmest in January at around 22°C / 72°F, and coolest in July at 12°C / 54°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly 3 months a year. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
See Nelson on the interactive sunshine globe →
Nearby places for sunshine
- Blenheim New Zealand · 59 km · best in Feb · 2,486 h sun/yr
- Wellington New Zealand · 132 km · best in Feb · 2,510 h sun/yr
- Palmerston North New Zealand · 229 km · best in Jan · 2,196 h sun/yr
- Christchurch New Zealand · 250 km · best in Feb · 2,377 h sun/yr
- New Plymouth New Zealand · 267 km · best in Jan · 2,321 h sun/yr
- Napier New Zealand · 370 km · best in Feb · 2,256 h sun/yr
Nearest destinations
- Picton New Zealand · 62 km · 2,486 h sun/yr · best in Feb
- Westport New Zealand · 145 km · 2,175 h sun/yr · best in Feb
- Wanganui New Zealand · 213 km · 2,180 h sun/yr · best in Jan
Put the Nelson sunshine badge on your site
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