Winter in New Zealand

Learn what to expect of winter in New Zealand and get information on planning and spending a holiday during winter in New Zealand.

General information about winter in New Zealand

The winter months in New Zealand are June, July, and August. Winter can be one of the best times to visit New Zealand. Images of snow-capped and snow-covered mountains in New Zealand have become all too familiar and the hallmark of especially the South Island of New Zealand.

Winter in New Zealand

Winter in New Zealand

Unfortunately, though, such images have also risen the expectation and assumption that New Zealand experiences extremely cold temperatures in winter and that snow continuously falls during winter, which is certainly not the case.

Winter temperatures average around 8 degrees Celsius (46.4 degrees Fahrenheit). Frosty winter nights are common inland in the central North Island and throughout the South Island.

While April snow is not uncommon, snow generally starts falling by the end of May and continues falling throughout the winter months of June, July, and August.

However, don’t expect the ground to be continuously blanketed by snow.

Snow in New Zealand generally falls at higher elevations, and only occasionally does it reach the ground during winter in New Zealand.

The only time you’re almost guaranteed to see snow is when you drive through mountain passes such as Lindis Pass after a cold snap (with precipitation) has passed.

The permanent snowline on the Southern Alps is around 2,100 meters, with glaciers down as low as 700 meters on the eastern flank and 400 meters on the steeper western flank. Therefore, high mountains such as Mount Cook are always snow-capped no matter what time of the year it is.

Skiing in winter in New Zealand

A common activity during winter in New Zealand is skiing and snowboarding. New Zealand has 25 ski fields, 18 of which are commercially operated.

Most of the ski fields are located on the South Island of New Zealand, meaning also that the ski fields on the South Island are less likely to be overcrowded.

The following articles can help you plan your ski holiday to New Zealand:

And for accommodation (New Zealand hotels and motels) in ski areas such as Queenstown and Lake Tekapo, you may want to check out: