Nelson is at its most pleasant from December to early April. For walking, any time of year works. It is rarely warm enough for sunbathing.
When to go five ratings · thirty-six ten-day sections · click a cell to read it
Sun is not what Nelson is for: the Sunbathing rating tops out at 8, mostly because it is too cool. The clearest skies come in February, when the sky is typically 49% covered at midday (partly cloudy).
For being outside, go from December to early April. It peaks in late February, at 80. Avoid June to mid September for this: it falls to 1, mostly because it is too cold.
There is no bad time here for walking: it rates Good or better in every part of the year. It is at its best in late April, at 87.
The year, measured
The average temperature in Nelson over the whole year is 14°C. February is the hottest month, with highs of about 21°C; August is the coldest, with lows of about 8°C. Nelson has no sharply defined rainy season: the chance of rain on a given day runs from 10% in January, the driest month, to 19% in July, the wettest. Winds in Nelson are highest in December, averaging 5.4 m/s (19 km/h), and lightest in June, at 4.0 m/s (14 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the NW. The clearest skies in Nelson come in February, when the sky is typically 48% covered; August is the cloudiest month, at 59%.
Month by month Nelson climate by month: average temperatures year round · click a month to read it
| Month | High | Low | Feels like | Chance of rain | Cloud | Wind | Being outside | Sun | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20°C | 16°C | 17°C | 10% | 56% | 5.1 m/s | 73 | 5 | 78 |
| February | 21°C | 16°C | 18°C | 10% | 48% | 5.0 m/s | 78 | 3 | 81 |
| March | 19°C | 14°C | 16°C | 11% | 55% | 4.5 m/s | 71 | 1 | 84 |
| April | 17°C | 12°C | 14°C | 13% | 50% | 4.3 m/s | 51 | 0 | 85 |
| May | 15°C | 10°C | 12°C | 16% | 54% | 4.1 m/s | 24 | 0 | 77 |
| June | 13°C | 8°C | 9°C | 17% | 59% | 4.0 m/s | 5 | 0 | 68 |
| July | 12°C | 8°C | 8°C | 19% | 55% | 4.2 m/s | 1 | 0 | 60 |
| August | 12°C | 8°C | 8°C | 16% | 59% | 4.2 m/s | 2 | 0 | 64 |
| September | 14°C | 9°C | 9°C | 15% | 58% | 5.0 m/s | 6 | 0 | 68 |
| October | 15°C | 10°C | 11°C | 15% | 58% | 5.2 m/s | 15 | 0 | 75 |
| November | 17°C | 13°C | 13°C | 14% | 58% | 5.3 m/s | 40 | 0 | 80 |
| December | 19°C | 15°C | 16°C | 13% | 58% | 5.4 m/s | 61 | 0 | 80 |
High and low are the warmest and coolest of four readings a day — midnight, 6am, noon and 6pm — so a true overnight low can sit a degree or two under them. Chance of rain, cloud and wind are the day’s average; feels-like and the three ratings (each out of 100: Good from 55, Ideal from 80) are read at midday.
Seasons, and the year in short Nelson weather by season
Year round, Nelson has days of about 12°C at their warmest in July, its coolest month, and 21°C in February, its warmest; the coolest hours of the day run from 8°C to 16°C through the year, and the average temperature over the year is 14°C around the clock. Rain is most likely around July and least likely around January. Every figure here is a decade of observations blended into one representative year, so it reads as what this date is usually like, not a forecast for one particular day.
Nelson weather in winterJune to August
Winter in Nelson has typical daily highs of about 12°C and lows of about 8°C, with a 17% chance of rain on a given day.
Nelson weather in springSeptember to November
Spring in Nelson has typical daily highs of about 15°C and lows of about 11°C, with a 15% chance of rain on a given day.
Nelson weather in summerDecember to February
Summer in Nelson has typical daily highs of about 20°C and lows of about 15°C, with a 11% chance of rain on a given day.
Nelson weather in autumnMarch to May
Autumn in Nelson has typical daily highs of about 17°C and lows of about 12°C, with a 13% chance of rain on a given day.
When is the rainy season in Nelson?
Nelson has no sharply defined rainy season: the chance of rain on a given day runs from 10% in January, the driest month, to 19% in July, the wettest.
What time of year is Nelson windiest?
Winds in Nelson are highest in December, averaging 5.4 m/s (19 km/h), and lightest in June, at 4.0 m/s (14 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the NW.
What is the average temperature in Nelson year round?
The average temperature in Nelson over the whole year is 14°C. February is the hottest month, with highs of about 21°C; August is the coldest, with lows of about 8°C.
Where to go instead in early July, the weakest time here for being outside
How this is worked out
Every figure is a decade of weather-station observations blended into one typical year, in ten-day sections. The ratings, the chart and the feels-like column are read at midday local solar time. Being outside is the Easy outdoors rating, Sun is Sunbathing and Walking is Active outdoors, each out of 100: Good from 55, Ideal from 80. They describe what a time of year is usually like here, not a forecast. The dotted links open the map at that time of year; set its time of day to midday to see these numbers.