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Forecast confidence: Medium · models disagree by 3°C

Palmerston North (Palmy) weather

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Cloudy,much the same tomorrow

European, the American and the German model put Palmerston North's high today between 17° and 20°, a 3° split. Tomorrow: cloudy, around 17°, with a 33% chance of rain.

18°9°
17°11°
19°10°
17°10°
16°9°
16°11°
Todaysplit ±3°Tomorrowmodels agreeMondaymodels agreeTuesdaymodels agreeWednesdaysplit ±2°Thursdaymodels agree
EuropeanECMWF
13°
Mainly clear
Feels 9° · Wind 26 km/h · Humidity 79%
AmericanNOAA GFS
12°
Overcast
Feels 9° · Wind 21 km/h · Humidity 83%
GermanDWD ICON
12°
Partly cloudy
Feels 9° · Wind 22 km/h · Humidity 84%

Latest for Palmerston North: European (ECMWF): 13° Mainly clear · American (NOAA GFS): 12° Overcast · German (DWD ICON): 12° Partly cloudy.

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Palmerston North weather in numbers

from 30 years of measured normals

Palmerston North swings 18°C across the year, from 22°C highs in February to 4°C lows in July, and June is usually the wettest month in a year that brings about 1084 mm of precipitation.

Warmest month
February
22°C average high
Coldest month
July
4°C average low
Wettest month
June
1084 mm a year
Below freezing
Never
overnight lows stay above 0°C
Comfortable
4 months
January, February, March and April
Residents
91,000
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The weather map: all three models at once

European, American, German side by side around Palmerston North and nearby towns.Live rain radar →
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Palmerston North hourly forecast: next 14 hours

consensus of the three models

Rain in the next 24 hours, model by model

each model's own hourly precipitation, side by side

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Palmerston North 10-day forecast, out to 14 days

where the models agree, and where they split
Today
Cloudy
18° 9°
±3°
Tomorrow
Cloudy
17° 11°
models agree
Mon
Cloudy
19° 10°
models agree
Tue
Light rain
17° 10°
models agree
Wed
Light drizzle
16° 9°
±2°
Thu
Light drizzle
16° 11°
models agree
Fri
Light drizzle
16° 10°
models agree
Sat
Cloudy
19° 9°
±5°
Sun
Light drizzle
19° 9°
±2°
Mon
Drizzle
19° 12°
±3°
Tue
Light drizzle
16° 11°
models agree
Wed
Light drizzle
17° 10°
±5°
Thu
Cloudy
17° 7°
models agree
Fri
Mostly clear
21° 6°
±3°

Palmerston North, New Zealand. Often shortened to Palmy. Below we compare what European, American, German forecast for Palmerston North right now and flag exactly where they disagree, then break down Palmerston North's weather month by month and which forecast model has been most accurate here.

We grade every model against the weather that actually happened, so you can see which forecast model is most accurate in New Zealand before you trust any single number.

Palmerston North weather by month

what to expect in Palmerston North through the year, 1991-2020 averages

Here is Palmerston North's typical weather in each month: the average daytime high and overnight low in °C, how each month feels, and the wettest month marked. Use it to plan any trip to Palmerston North by season.

Jan
21°
13°
Mild
Feb
22°
14°
Warm
Mar
20°
11°
Mild
Apr
18°
10°
Mild
May
15°
7°
Mild
Jun
12°
6°
Cool
Wettest
Jul
11°
4°
Cool
Aug
12°
5°
Cool
Sep
13°
6°
Cool
Oct
16°
8°
Mild
Nov
17°
10°
Mild
Dec
19°
12°
Mild

What Palmerston North's weather is like through the year

Palmerston North runs from warm summers, with February highs near 22°C, to cold winters, when July lows sit around 4°C (a swing of about 18°C across the year). June is usually the wettest month, and Palmerston North sees roughly 1084 mm of precipitation annually.

Best time to visit Palmerston North

The most comfortable time to visit Palmerston North is usually January, February, March and April, when daytime highs sit in the pleasant 16-26°C range and the heaviest June rain is behind you.

How Palmerston North's weather has changed since 1995

30 years of daily data, 1995-2024, shown as change
+0.3°C

Around Palmerston North, the difference between 1995-2004 and 2015-2024 is +0.3°C, within the normal swing from year to year.

1995: −0.2°C vs the 30-year average1996: −0.6°C vs the 30-year average1997: −0.7°C vs the 30-year average1998: +0.8°C vs the 30-year average1999: +0.7°C vs the 30-year average2000: +0.2°C vs the 30-year average2001: +0.3°C vs the 30-year average2002: −0.2°C vs the 30-year average2003: ±0.0°C vs the 30-year average2004: −0.8°C vs the 30-year average2005: +0.3°C vs the 30-year average2006: −0.5°C vs the 30-year average2007: ±0.0°C vs the 30-year average2008: +0.2°C vs the 30-year average2009: −0.9°C vs the 30-year average2010: −0.2°C vs the 30-year average2011: −0.2°C vs the 30-year average2012: −0.6°C vs the 30-year average2013: +0.5°C vs the 30-year average2014: −0.2°C vs the 30-year average2015: −0.4°C vs the 30-year average2016: +0.6°C vs the 30-year average2017: ±0.0°C vs the 30-year average2018: +0.6°C vs the 30-year average2019: +0.5°C vs the 30-year average2020: +0.1°C vs the 30-year average2021: +0.3°C vs the 30-year average2022: +0.4°C vs the 30-year average2023: +0.2°C vs the 30-year average2024: +0.2°C vs the 30-year average
1995each stripe is one year2024
cooler than averagearound averagewarmer than average

Days above 25°C

1 fewer day a year

2015-2024 against 1995-2004. Within the normal year-to-year swing

1995: −2 vs the 30-year average1996: −11 vs the 30-year average1997: −11 vs the 30-year average1998: +21 vs the 30-year average1999: +28 vs the 30-year average2000: +8 vs the 30-year average2001: +3 vs the 30-year average2002: −12 vs the 30-year average2003: −2 vs the 30-year average2004: −8 vs the 30-year average2005: −1 vs the 30-year average2006: −3 vs the 30-year average2007: +1 vs the 30-year average2008: +7 vs the 30-year average2009: −6 vs the 30-year average2010: −7 vs the 30-year average2011: −8 vs the 30-year average2012: −10 vs the 30-year average2013: +12 vs the 30-year average2014: −6 vs the 30-year average2015: +2 vs the 30-year average2016: +18 vs the 30-year average2017: −11 vs the 30-year average2018: +17 vs the 30-year average2019: +1 vs the 30-year average2020: +1 vs the 30-year average2021: −6 vs the 30-year average2022: −4 vs the 30-year average2023: −14 vs the 30-year average2024: −8 vs the 30-year average

Average wind

−1%

2015-2024 against 1995-2004. Within the normal year-to-year swing

1995: −2% vs the 30-year average1996: −0% vs the 30-year average1997: +2% vs the 30-year average1998: +3% vs the 30-year average1999: −9% vs the 30-year average2000: −0% vs the 30-year average2001: −6% vs the 30-year average2002: +13% vs the 30-year average2003: −0% vs the 30-year average2004: +5% vs the 30-year average2005: −4% vs the 30-year average2006: +9% vs the 30-year average2007: +2% vs the 30-year average2008: −2% vs the 30-year average2009: +2% vs the 30-year average2010: −2% vs the 30-year average2011: −4% vs the 30-year average2012: −0% vs the 30-year average2013: −2% vs the 30-year average2014: +5% vs the 30-year average2015: +2% vs the 30-year average2016: +3% vs the 30-year average2017: −6% vs the 30-year average2018: −4% vs the 30-year average2019: +3% vs the 30-year average2020: +2% vs the 30-year average2021: −2% vs the 30-year average2022: −6% vs the 30-year average2023: −0% vs the 30-year average2024: −2% vs the 30-year average

Bars: each year against the area's 30-year average. Dashed lines: the average of the first and the last ten years.

See the numbers year by year
YearTemp vs averageDays >25°C vs avgWind vs avg
1995−0.2°C−2−2%
1996−0.6°C−11−0%
1997−0.7°C−11+2%
1998+0.8°C+21+3%
1999+0.7°C+28−9%
2000+0.2°C+8−0%
2001+0.3°C+3−6%
2002−0.2°C−12+13%
2003±0.0°C−2−0%
2004−0.8°C−8+5%
2005+0.3°C−1−4%
2006−0.5°C−3+9%
2007±0.0°C+1+2%
2008+0.2°C+7−2%
2009−0.9°C−6+2%
2010−0.2°C−7−2%
2011−0.2°C−8−4%
2012−0.6°C−10−0%
2013+0.5°C+12−2%
2014−0.2°C−6+5%
2015−0.4°C+2+2%
2016+0.6°C+18+3%
2017±0.0°C−11−6%
2018+0.6°C+17−4%
2019+0.5°C+1+3%
2020+0.1°C+1+2%
2021+0.3°C−6−2%
2022+0.4°C−4−6%
2023+0.2°C−14−0%
2024+0.2°C−8−2%

Source: NASA POWER daily data from the MERRA-2 reanalysis, 1995-2024. Each value describes a grid square of about 50 km around Palmerston North, not a weather station, and a square that takes in sea or a large lake runs milder than the city itself. That is why this section shows change against the square's own 30-year average rather than counts you could compare with a local station. Rain and snow are left out because their long-term record in this dataset is not consistent over time. "Within the normal year-to-year swing" means the change is smaller than the usual differences between single years.

Which forecast is most accurate in Palmerston North?

CheckWeather Score, graded against the weather that actually happened
ProviderCheckWeather-scoreTempWindRainRun by
European logo
European ★ Best
86
/100rank #1
85±0.8°C95±2.6 km/h8290% hitECMWF - European Centre for Medium-Range Weather ForecastsReading, United Kingdom
G
German
84
/100rank #2
84±0.9°C96±2.1 km/h7687% hitDeutscher Wetterdienst (DWD)Offenbach am Main, Germany
American logo
American
79
/100rank #3
75±1.4°C88±5.9 km/h7687% hitNOAA / NCEP (United States)College Park, Maryland, USA

The CheckWeather Score blends temperature, wind and rain accuracy, each measured against ERA5 (the recorded weather) over the last 30 days across 244 cities. Lower error means a higher score. See which forecast model is most accurate in New Zealand, how we measure forecast accuracy, or which model each weather app uses.

Bottom line: over the last 30 days the European model has been the most accurate forecast for Palmerston North, scoring 86/100 on our CheckWeather Score, ahead of the German at 84. See the full NZ accuracy scoreboard for exactly how every model is tested.

What do you think of the forecasts?

your vote counts

The accuracy above is the measured record. This is your opinion: which forecast service do you trust most in New Zealand? Give each 1 to 5 stars.

EuropeanECMWF
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AmericanNOAA GFS
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GermanDWD ICON
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One vote per service. Anonymous: we store no personal data, only a one-way hash of your connection for a day to stop double votes.

Where the models disagree

temperature and rain, judged separately
DayTemperatureRain
Today±3°17° to 20°±39%0% to 39% chance
Tomorrow±2°17° to 19°±33%0% to 33% chance
Mon±2°18° to 20°±55%0% to 55% chance
Tue±1°17° to 18°±20%75% to 95% chance
Wed±2°15° to 17°±6%23% to 29% chance

The models often agree on temperature and still split on rain, and rain is usually what decides whether a plan survives. A wide rain range means the shower is genuinely uncertain, not that the forecast is wrong.

Sunrise and sunset in Palmerston North

today, local time
Sunrise
06:17
Sunset
19:47
Daylight
13h 30m

Common questions

What's the weather in Palmerston North today?
Saturday 24 October: European, the American and the German model put Palmerston North's high today between 17° and 20°, a 3° split. Tomorrow: cloudy, around 17°, with a 33% chance of rain. The forecast on this page refreshes live.
Will it rain in Palmerston North today or tomorrow?
The models split on rain in Palmerston North on Sunday 25 October: European 33%, American 0%, German 23%. When they disagree like this, treat any single app's answer with caution. On Saturday 24 October the highest chance of rain from any model is 39%. The hourly strip and the model-by-model rain panel above update live.
Which forecast is most accurate for Palmerston North?
Over the last 30 days, the European model has been the most accurate for Palmerston North (CheckWeather Score 86/100), ahead of the German at 84. We grade every model against the recorded weather. See the NZ accuracy scoreboard for the full method.
What is the warmest month in Palmerston North?
February is typically the warmest month in Palmerston North, with average highs around 22°C.
How cold does Palmerston North get?
The coldest month in Palmerston North is July, when overnight lows average about 4°C.
How much rain does Palmerston North get?
Palmerston North sees roughly 1084 mm of precipitation a year, with June usually the wettest month.
When is the best time to visit Palmerston North?
The most comfortable time to visit Palmerston North is usually January, February, March and April, when daytime highs sit in the pleasant 16-26°C range and the heaviest June rain is behind you.
Does it snow in Palmerston North?
Rarely - Palmerston North very seldom sees overnight lows drop below freezing, so lasting snow is unusual.
Is Palmerston North getting warmer?
Not clearly. In NASA's reanalysis for the area around Palmerston North, the difference between 1995-2004 and 2015-2024 is 0.3°C, within the normal swing from year to year.

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