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Forecast confidence: Medium · models disagree by 3°C

Queenstown (Qtown) weather

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Partly cloudy,much the same tomorrow

European, the American and the German model put Queenstown's high today between 18° and 20°, a 3° split. Tomorrow: cloudy, around 19°, with a 21% chance of rain.

19°8°
19°11°
18°12°
13°5°
13°5°
12°6°
Todaysplit ±3°Tomorrowmodels agreeMondaysplit ±6°Tuesdaymodels agreeWednesdaysplit ±3°Thursdaysplit ±3°
EuropeanECMWF
12°
Overcast
Feels 11° · Wind 1 km/h · Humidity 76%
AmericanNOAA GFS
11°
Overcast
Feels 10° · Wind 7 km/h · Humidity 86%
GermanDWD ICON
14°
Overcast
Feels 12° · Wind 9 km/h · Humidity 64%

Latest for Queenstown: European (ECMWF): 12° Overcast · American (NOAA GFS): 11° Overcast · German (DWD ICON): 14° Overcast.

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Queenstown weather in numbers

from 30 years of measured normals

Queenstown swings 19°C across the year, from 20°C highs in January to 1°C lows in June, and December is usually the wettest month in a year that brings about 856 mm of precipitation.

Warmest month
January
20°C average high
Coldest month
June
1°C average low
Wettest month
December
856 mm a year
Below freezing
Never
overnight lows stay above 0°C
Comfortable
4 months
January, February, March and November
Residents
10,000
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The weather map: all three models at once

European, American, German side by side around Queenstown and nearby towns.Live rain radar →
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Queenstown 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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Queenstown 10-day forecast, out to 14 days

where the models agree, and where they split
Today
Partly cloudy
19° 8°
±3°
Tomorrow
Cloudy
19° 11°
models agree
Mon
Rain
18° 12°
±6°
Tue
Light drizzle
13° 5°
models agree
Wed
Light rain
13° 5°
±3°
Thu
Light rain
12° 6°
±3°
Fri
Light rain
13° 3°
±2°
Sat
Light drizzle
18° 6°
±3°
Sun
Light rain
16° 8°
models agree
Mon
Rain
12° 3°
±5°
Tue
Drizzle
12° 3°
±10°
Wed
Partly cloudy
17° 3°
±4°
Thu
Cloudy
18° 4°
±4°
Fri
Partly cloudy
21° 7°
models agree

Queenstown, New Zealand (often shortened to Qtown) is at its warmest in Jan (average highs near 20°C) and coldest in Jun (lows around 1°C), with roughly 856 mm of precipitation across the year. Below, compare what European, American, German forecast for Queenstown right now, and see exactly where they disagree.

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.

Queenstown climate by month

average daytime high and overnight low across a typical year (1991-2020)
Jan
20°
11°
Feb
19°
11°
Mar
18°
10°
Apr
14°
7°
May
11°
6°
Jun
5°
1°
Jul
6°
1°
Aug
8°
2°
Sep
11°
3°
Oct
14°
5°
Nov
16°
6°
Dec
19°
9°

Source: 1991-2020 averages, ERA5 for this place adjusted with NASA POWER.

How Queenstown's weather has changed since 1995

30 years of daily data, 1995-2024, shown as change
+1.0°C

Around Queenstown, 2015-2024 averaged 1.0°C warmer than 1995-2004. 7 of the 10 warmest years since 1995 fall in the last ten, and the warmest was 2022.

1995: −1.0°C vs the 30-year average1996: −0.9°C vs the 30-year average1997: −1.1°C vs the 30-year average1998: ±0.0°C vs the 30-year average1999: +0.6°C vs the 30-year average2000: −0.2°C vs the 30-year average2001: +0.1°C vs the 30-year average2002: −0.4°C vs the 30-year average2003: −0.5°C vs the 30-year average2004: −1.1°C vs the 30-year average2005: +0.4°C vs the 30-year average2006: −0.9°C vs the 30-year average2007: −0.3°C vs the 30-year average2008: −0.2°C vs the 30-year average2009: −0.9°C vs the 30-year average2010: +0.1°C vs the 30-year average2011: −0.4°C vs the 30-year average2012: −0.3°C vs the 30-year average2013: +0.5°C vs the 30-year average2014: ±0.0°C vs the 30-year average2015: −0.3°C vs the 30-year average2016: +0.5°C vs the 30-year average2017: +0.4°C vs the 30-year average2018: +0.6°C vs the 30-year average2019: +0.5°C vs the 30-year average2020: +0.5°C vs the 30-year average2021: +0.6°C vs the 30-year average2022: +1.1°C vs the 30-year average2023: +1.1°C vs the 30-year average2024: +0.1°C vs the 30-year average
1995each stripe is one year2024
cooler than averagearound averagewarmer than average

Frost nights

24 fewer nights a year

2015-2024 against 1995-2004, below 0°C. Within the normal year-to-year swing

1995: +16 vs the 30-year average1996: +18 vs the 30-year average1997: +31 vs the 30-year average1998: +9 vs the 30-year average1999: −18 vs the 30-year average2000: −2 vs the 30-year average2001: −19 vs the 30-year average2002: +11 vs the 30-year average2003: +10 vs the 30-year average2004: +30 vs the 30-year average2005: −2 vs the 30-year average2006: +24 vs the 30-year average2007: +3 vs the 30-year average2008: +17 vs the 30-year average2009: +27 vs the 30-year average2010: −3 vs the 30-year average2011: +14 vs the 30-year average2012: −4 vs the 30-year average2013: −22 vs the 30-year average2014: −6 vs the 30-year average2015: +28 vs the 30-year average2016: −16 vs the 30-year average2017: −12 vs the 30-year average2018: −5 vs the 30-year average2019: −22 vs the 30-year average2020: −15 vs the 30-year average2021: −35 vs the 30-year average2022: −34 vs the 30-year average2023: −31 vs the 30-year average2024: −4 vs the 30-year average

Average wind

−5%

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

1995: +2% vs the 30-year average1996: −7% vs the 30-year average1997: +5% vs the 30-year average1998: +11% vs the 30-year average1999: −1% vs the 30-year average2000: +5% vs the 30-year average2001: −7% vs the 30-year average2002: +8% vs the 30-year average2003: +2% vs the 30-year average2004: +8% vs the 30-year average2005: −4% vs the 30-year average2006: +11% vs the 30-year average2007: −1% vs the 30-year average2008: −4% vs the 30-year average2009: +5% vs the 30-year average2010: +2% vs the 30-year average2011: +2% vs the 30-year average2012: −4% vs the 30-year average2013: −4% vs the 30-year average2014: −1% vs the 30-year average2015: +5% vs the 30-year average2016: −1% vs the 30-year average2017: −10% vs the 30-year average2018: −7% vs the 30-year average2019: +5% vs the 30-year average2020: −1% vs the 30-year average2021: −4% vs the 30-year average2022: −13% vs the 30-year average2023: −4% vs the 30-year average2024: −1% 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 averageFrost nights vs avgWind vs avg
1995−1.0°C+16+2%
1996−0.9°C+18−7%
1997−1.1°C+31+5%
1998±0.0°C+9+11%
1999+0.6°C−18−1%
2000−0.2°C−2+5%
2001+0.1°C−19−7%
2002−0.4°C+11+8%
2003−0.5°C+10+2%
2004−1.1°C+30+8%
2005+0.4°C−2−4%
2006−0.9°C+24+11%
2007−0.3°C+3−1%
2008−0.2°C+17−4%
2009−0.9°C+27+5%
2010+0.1°C−3+2%
2011−0.4°C+14+2%
2012−0.3°C−4−4%
2013+0.5°C−22−4%
2014±0.0°C−6−1%
2015−0.3°C+28+5%
2016+0.5°C−16−1%
2017+0.4°C−12−10%
2018+0.6°C−5−7%
2019+0.5°C−22+5%
2020+0.5°C−15−1%
2021+0.6°C−35−4%
2022+1.1°C−34−13%
2023+1.1°C−31−4%
2024+0.1°C−4−1%

Source: NASA POWER daily data from the MERRA-2 reanalysis, 1995-2024. Each value describes a grid square of about 50 km around Queenstown, 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 Queenstown?

CheckWeather Score, graded against the weather that actually happened
ProviderCheckWeather-scoreTempWindRainRun by
European logo
European ★ Best
95
/100rank #1
94±0.4°C97±1.3 km/h9597% hitECMWF - European Centre for Medium-Range Weather ForecastsReading, United Kingdom
G
German
78
/100rank #2
80±1.1°C86±6.8 km/h7184% hitDeutscher Wetterdienst (DWD)Offenbach am Main, Germany
American logo
American
60
/100rank #3
29±3.9°C95±2.7 km/h7184% 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.

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°18° to 20°models agree0% to 0% chance
Tomorrow±1°19° to 20°±15%6% to 21% chance
Mon±6°15° to 21°models agree100% to 100% chance
Tue±1°13° to 14°±33%65% to 98% chance
Wed±3°11° to 14°±22%76% to 98% 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 Queenstown

today, local time
Sunrise
06:36
Sunset
20:22
Daylight
13h 46m

Common questions

What's the weather in Queenstown today?
Saturday 24 October: European, the American and the German model put Queenstown's high today between 18° and 20°, a 3° split. Tomorrow: cloudy, around 19°, with a 21% chance of rain. The forecast on this page refreshes live.
Will it rain in Queenstown today or tomorrow?
The models split on rain in Queenstown on Sunday 25 October: European 6%, American 21%, German 8%. 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 0%. The hourly strip and the model-by-model rain panel above update live.
Which forecast is most accurate for Queenstown?
Over the last 30 days, the European model has been the most accurate for Queenstown (CheckWeather Score 95/100), ahead of the German at 78. We grade every model against the recorded weather. See the NZ accuracy scoreboard for the full method.
What is the warmest month in Queenstown?
January is typically the warmest month in Queenstown, with average highs around 20°C.
How cold does Queenstown get?
The coldest month in Queenstown is June, when overnight lows average about 1°C.
How much rain does Queenstown get?
Queenstown sees roughly 856 mm of precipitation a year, with December usually the wettest month.
Is Queenstown getting warmer?
Yes. In NASA's reanalysis for the area around Queenstown, 2015-2024 averaged 1.0°C warmer than 1995-2004.

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