Typical New Zealand weather in August means winter snow and world-class skiing, as well as crisp, clear days and deep, starry nights. Read on for everything you need to know about visiting New Zealand in August.
August is winter in New Zealand, and depending on where you plan on visiting you can expect a combination of crisp days, sunshine, snowfall, long nights and low temperatures. There’s also plenty of rain in some areas, and more mild temperatures in others.
With winter in full swing, August is a fabulous time to see New Zealand in a particular light. In some areas, snow covers the landscapes in a majestic glow. August is also peak season for trying New Zealand’s world-renowned ski and snowboard resorts. Conversely, it’s a quiet off-season for other attractions around the country, so you can find plenty of good deals and lower prices.
Broadly speaking, the weather is a combination of cold, wet, crisp and clear in New Zealand during August. Some areas will be cloudy, and while temperatures drop towards freezing in the deep south, temperatures can be much more mild further north. There’s a lot of rain in some areas and snow in others, and the amount of sunshine to expect tends to creep up towards the end of the month.
Here’s a more detailed rundown on New Zealand’s weather in August, including average temperatures, sunshine hours and rainfall levels in different areas.
Temperatures in New Zealand in August range from cold to mild. This is the winter season in New Zealand’s alpine regions, so the likes of Queenstown, Taupō and other winter resorts see minimum temperatures near freezing. Daily high temperatures in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, meanwhile, can reach or exceed 15°C (59°F).
Here’s a closer look at average temperatures across New Zealand in August, by region:
Location | Min °C | Max °C | Average °C | Min °F | Max °F | Average °F |
Auckland | 7.5 | 15.1 | 11.3 | 45.5 | 59.2 | 52.3 |
Rotorua | 4.1 | 12.8 | 8.4 | 39.4 | 55.0 | 47.1 |
Wellington | 6.7 | 12.2 | 9.4 | 44.0 | 54.0 | 48.9 |
Christchurch | 3.2 | 12.7 | 7.9 | 37.8 | 54.9 | 46.2 |
Queenstown | 0.2 | 9.8 | 5.0 | 32.4 | 49.6 | 41.0 |
The days are getting longer and, although it can still get dark and cold in some places, generally speaking August starts to see a bit of sun poking through the winter gloom. Queenstown, in particular, sees a lot more bright, sunny days in August than earlier in winter, while you can expect around five hours of sunshine per day in Christchurch, Rotorua, Auckland and Wellington.
Location | Ave Sunshine Hours per month | Ave Sunshine Hours per day | Median Daylight Length (hours) |
Auckland | 142.9 | 4.61 | 10:42 |
Rotorua | 152.1 | 4.91 | 10:38 |
Wellington | 147.3 | 4.75 | 10:28 |
Christchurch | 153.9 | 4.97 | 10:20 |
Queenstown | 120.0 | 3.87 | 10:14 |
With winter in the process of moving on, there are changes to the rainfall patterns around New Zealand during August. Although this is still a ‘wet’ season in places like Auckland and Wellington, August is typically much less rainy overall there than the previous two months. Meanwhile, you can expect a relatively low number of wet days in Christchurch and Queenstown, and fairly low rainfall overall.
Location | Rainfall (mm) | Rainfall (inch) | Relative Humidity | Wet Days |
Auckland | 118.4 | 4.66 | 85.0 | 14.7 |
Rotorua | 131.4 | 5.17 | 87.2 | 12.1 |
Wellington | 113.7 | 4.48 | 82.9 | 12.5 |
Christchurch | 64.4 | 2.54 | 85.1 | 7.3 |
Queenstown | 66.2 | 2.61 | 82.1 | 8.1 |
With a number of designated Dark Sky Reserves around the country, New Zealand is a stargazer’s dream – and winter is the best time to do it. August is a great time to try and spot the Aurora Australis, or “Southern Lights”, especially from Rakiura (Stewart Island) and the bottom half of the South Island. The Mackenzie District, near Aoraki Mount Cook and Tekapo, is also famous for its clear, crisp and deep night skies at this time.
August is maybe the best time to visit New Zealand for a ski holiday. There’s a a number of world-class ski resorts around the towns of Queenstown and Wānaka in the South Island, or Taupō in the North Island. If you prefer a quieter and more local experience, there are dozens of smaller club fields dotted around the mountains of Canterbury and on the slopes of Mt. Taranaki, which also typically offer rustic, on-mountain accommodation.
While the winter crowds descend elsewhere, you can take advantage of low tourist season in other parts of the country: such as the subtropical Bay of Islands, in the far north. You can still expect some days around or above 20°C (68°F) here, even in winter, and the buzzing Bay of Islands Jazz and Blues Festival makes August a fun time to visit the sleepy but significant town of Paihia, adjacent to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds and site of colonial New Zealand’s first capital, Russell.
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