Best time to visit Nelson

Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
I'm comfortable up to 27°C feels-like
22° heat-averse 30° heat-loving

Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.

Saved to this browser. Changes update the strips below.
Recent · 2020-2024
Interest Google Trends 2021-2025 searches, not arrivals (?)
Day · avg daily high (?)
Night · avg overnight low (?)
UV index · On a typical day around midday, UV is about this (?)
886321123578
On the sunniest 1 in 10 days, UV reaches this — and even higher
1110747911
PM2.5 air quality · on a typical day (?)
443322333444
On the worst 1 in 10 days, PM2.5 reaches this — and even higher
665443465666
January 8/10 feels 22°C (+1°C vs 1991-2020) · HCI 80/100
Day 22° · Night 14° ☀ UV 8 (very high) 67% humidity 16 km/h wind 9 rain days (116h) 287h sun
Thermal 8
Sky 8
Rain 7
Wind 10

Higher = better, including rain & wind (green = "doesn't hurt the score", not "lots of it").

How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.

Compare with another destination

Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.

Tours in Nelson

6 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on Nelson).

  1. 1Self-guided E-bike cycle tour with private wine tasting4.87★ (30)6hfrom $116
  2. 2Private boat charter in Abel Tasman National Park5.00★ (32)6hfrom $2430
  3. 3Great Taste Beer Tour by Bicycle (Self-guided)4.90★ (20)6hfrom $77
  4. 4Heli-Scenic Abel Tasman Experience5.00★ (1)2h 30mfrom $2343
  5. 5Lord of the Rings Mt Owen, Exit from the Mines of Moria5.00★ (2)1h 30mfrom $2842
  6. 6Heli-Scenic Nelson Mountain Adventure5.00★ (3)1hfrom $1406

Last refreshed 2026-06-08.

Similar climatesAuckland94% · Taupo93% · Rotorua92%

Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Nelson (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Nelson's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.

Month-by-month

Month Temp °C Feels °C Rain days Rain h Rain h/day Humidity Wind km/h Sun h UV Interest Score
Jan 14–22 22 9 116 12.9 67% 16 287 8 Quiet 8
Feb 14–21 21 10 139 13.9 70% 16 229 8 Quiet 8
Mar 12–20 19 10 130 13.0 71% 16 235 6 Quiet 7
Apr 11–18 17 10 132 13.2 75% 15 199 3 Quiet 7
May 9–15 14 10 156 15.6 79% 14 166 2 Quiet 6
Jun 8–14 12 13 173 13.3 81% 14 145 1 Quiet 5
Jul 6–13 10 10 145 14.5 78% 15 156 1 Quiet 6
Aug 6–13 11 13 158 12.2 77% 15 190 2 Busy 5
Sep 7–15 12 13 155 11.9 72% 19 204 3 Busy 6
Oct 9–16 15 13 179 13.8 72% 18 225 5 Moderate 6
Nov 11–18 17 14 200 14.3 73% 17 239 7 Peak 6
Dec 14–21 21 14 170 12.1 71% 18 254 8 Moderate 7

UV Index in Nelson by Month

UV index in Nelson peaks at 8 (very high) in January, dropping to 1 (low) in June. January, December reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

Best months in detail

January

8/10

14–22°C · 9 rain days (116h) · 287 sun hours · 67% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 8 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (very high)

February

8/10

14–21°C · 10 rain days (139h) · 229 sun hours · 70% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 8 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 10 (very high)

March

7/10

12–20°C · 10 rain days (130h) · 235 sun hours · 71% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 6 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)

Every month

Show the other 9 months in detail

April

7/10

11–18°C · 10 rain days (132h) · 199 sun hours · 75% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)

May

6/10

9–15°C (feels 14°C) · 10 rain days (156h) · 166 sun hours · 79% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)

June

5/10

8–14°C (feels 12°C) · 13 rain days (173h) · 145 sun hours · 81% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

July

6/10

6–13°C (feels 10°C) · 10 rain days (145h) · 156 sun hours · 78% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)

August

5/10

6–13°C (feels 11°C) · 13 rain days (158h) · 190 sun hours · 77% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 2 (low)

September

6/10

7–15°C (feels 12°C) · 13 rain days (155h) · 204 sun hours · 72% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 3 (moderate)

October

6/10

9–16°C (feels 15°C) · 13 rain days (179h) · 225 sun hours · 72% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)

November

6/10

11–18°C (feels 17°C) · 14 rain days (200h) · 239 sun hours · 73% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 7 (high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 9 (very high)

December

7/10

14–21°C · 14 rain days (170h) · 254 sun hours · 71% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 8 (very high) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 11 (extreme)

Frequently asked questions about visiting Nelson

When is the best time to visit Nelson?

January is the highest-scoring month (8/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 14–22°C (9 rainy days). The top three months by score are January, February, March.

What is the worst time to visit Nelson?

June is the lowest-scoring month (5/10). Typical conditions: 8–14°C (13 rainy days).

When are crowds lowest in Nelson?

Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in April and peaks in November. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.

Which months in Nelson have good weather but fewer tourists?

January (climate 8/10, crowd index 7) and February (climate 8/10, crowd index 7) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.

What is the UV index in Nelson by month?

UV peaks at 8 (very high) in January and is lowest in June at 1 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 8, Feb 8, Mar 6, Apr 3, May 2, Jun 1, Jul 1, Aug 2, Sep 3, Oct 5, Nov 7, Dec 8. January, December reach very high or extreme levels — apply SPF 50+, wear a hat and protective clothing, and limit direct sun between 11:00 and 17:00.

What is the UV index in Nelson in January?

January is the peak UV month in Nelson, with a daily-peak UV index of 8 (very high). At this level, sunburn can occur in under 20 minutes on unprotected fair skin. Apply SPF 50+, wear protective clothing and a hat, and avoid direct midday sun (11:00–17:00).

How high can UV get in Nelson on the sunniest days?

Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. December is the worst case: typical days average UV 8 (very high), but the top 10% of days reach UV 11 (extreme) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: January, February, March, April, October, November, December. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.