Nelson Temperature by Month
Nelson, Nelson Region, New Zealand has an average annual maximum temperature of 16°C (61°F), with moderate seasonal shifts ranging from 12°C (54°F) in July to 21°C (70°F) in February. Below you'll find a full monthly breakdown and a comparison with cities worldwide.
Nelson Monthly Temperatures
The weather in Nelson changes moderately throughout the year, offering enough variation to appreciate each season. Nights are cooler, with lows ranging from 14°C (57°F) to 5°C (41°F).
The chart below illustrates the average maximum day and minimum night temperatures in Nelson by month:
Low temperatures are most often recorded between 4 AM and 6 AM, while highs typically occur around 3 PM. February, the city's warmest month, sees 235 hours of sunshine.
The chart below shows the average temperature throughout the year:
Daily Historical Temperatures
50-year average (1976-2025)
Average high and low temperatures for each day of the month based on long-term records.
Average temperatures in June
Historical Nelson Temperatures: 1976-2026
Browse day-by-day temperature records for Nelson spanning 51 years. Select any month and year to see actual high and low temperatures recorded on each day.
Temperature: Nelson vs New Zealand
The map below shows the annual temperature across New Zealand. You can also select individual months if you want to compare a specific time of year.
very warm
warm
pleasant
moderate
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very cold
Nelson vs World: Temperature Compared
Nelson's average annual maximum temperature is 16°C (61°F). To put that in context, here's how it compares to a few well-known destinations:
Athens, Greece sits at 23°C (73°F) on average, with hot dry summers and mild winters characteristic of the Mediterranean.
On the cooler end, Oslo, Norway averages just 10°C (50°F) annually, with pleasant summers but long, cold winters.
Buenos Aires, Argentina averages 23°C (73°F) a year, with hot summers and mild winters — and seasons reversed compared to Europe.
Brisbane, Australia averages 26°C (79°F) a year, with warm winters and hot, humid summers.
What Does the Temperature Feel Like in Nelson?
Temperature alone doesn't tell the whole story — humidity plays a big role in how warm or cold it actually feels. High humidity in summer makes the heat feel more intense, particularly once temperatures climb above 25°C. In winter, the same humidity can make cold air feel sharper than the thermometer suggests.
In the cooler months, when temperatures drop below 10°C, high humidity makes the cold feel more cutting than it would in dry conditions.
In Nelson, July is the coolest month, with average highs of 12°C (54°F) and humidity around 87% — considered very high. For a full picture, see our humidity page.
Climate temperature data is typically calculated as a 30-year average. This smooths out year-to-year variability and gives a more reliable picture of what a place is actually like, rather than what happened in any single unusual year.
The readings come from a range of sources — land-based weather stations, ocean buoys, ships, and satellites. That data is collected by weather services around the world, then pooled, quality-checked, and averaged to produce the climate records you see here.
Global average temperatures have risen by around 1.2°C since the pre-industrial era, and the effects are visible across many regions. Winters are milder on average, with fewer frost days and less snow in many parts of the world. Heatwaves are more frequent and more intense, and Europe's summers of 2018, 2019, and 2020 all set records.
Summers are also getting drier in some areas, while winter rainfall has increased in others. This contributies to higher river levels and more flooding. In many countries, spring arrives earlier and autumn lasts longer. It has knock-on effects for wildlife, agriculture, and local ecosystems.
For more on Nelson's weather — including monthly rainfall, sunshine hours, and humidity — visit our Nelson climate page.
