If you are looking for a tourist destination that offers the best of everything then New Zealand is a country that should be on the top of your list. If you are also looking for the right answer to the question does New Zealand have snow all year round, then you are in the right place.
It is an awesome island country that consists basically of two main landmasses. They are referred to as the North Island and South Island. Not many people perhaps would be aware that there are another 700 small islands that also make up the entire country. The overall size of New Zealand is around 103,500 square miles. It is located around 1200 miles to the east of Australia. One has to cross the famous Tasman Sea to reach New Zealand.
In spite of being a small island nation, New Zealand is a highly prosperous and developed country with excellent standards of living. It is a nation that has always been committed to transparency in governance, civil liberties, and economic freedom. The country went through many economic changes during the 1980s and this helped to transform the country into a liberalized free trade economy from the protectionist and inward-looking economy that it was.
New Zealand has snow throughout the year on the snow-capped mountains and in the glaciers. Snowfall in the country typically happens from June till October where the south will get snow compared to the north.
What about the climate?
There are a few questions that you may like to ask about New Zealand as far as the climatic conditions are concerned. The climate of New Zealand is predominantly temperate maritime. In other words, the mean annual temperatures range from 10 degrees Centigrade in the southern part of the country to 16 degrees centigrade in the northern part.
The maximum and minimum temperatures recorded historically are 42.4 degrees C and -25.6 degrees C. There could be sharp variations in climate and temperatures. Hence, when you are visiting this beautiful island nation, you must be aware of the kind of weather and climatic conditions that you are likely to come across. We are sure that the points being discussed over the next few lines may help the readers to find the right answer to the question: Does New Zealand have snow all year round?
As a tourist who is planning a short or long visit to New Zealand, it is quite obvious that they will have quite a few questions to ask about the overall climatic conditions and weather conditions. I am listing down some of the common questions that could help the readers and prospective tourists get some clarity about the overall weather and climatic conditions before they visit New Zealand.
Does New Zealand have snow all year round?
New Zealand has quite a few other things to offer apart from its friendly people. It has some majestic and stunning vistas. The snow-capped mountain peaks have ice and snow throughout the year. This is because many of the snow-capped mountains are glaciers. Hence, you can expect to enjoy round-the-year beauty when you visit the areas surrounding these snow-capped mountains and glaciers.
The temperatures around these snow-capped mountains are obviously quite low and you also can expect intermittent snowfalls in these areas.
However, you cannot expect snowfall throughout the year. Most of the snow falls take place in mountainous areas. These include the Central Plateau in the North and the Southern Alps in the south. The inland areas of Otago and Canterbury are known for heavy snowfall during some parts of the year. In fact, historically low temperature ever reported has been reported from Canterbury.
Therefore, if you want to engage in some of the best winter sports activities, you should certainly visit these mountainous terrains and the inland areas of Otago and Canterbury. The coastal areas of North Island also report cold weather often, and they’re also could be overnight winter in many of these places. However, instances of snow in coastal areas are not common. There are a few things unique about the weather conditions in large parts of New Zealand. It could be sunny and clear one moment, but the next moment you could find the weather turning gloomy and dark.
As a tourist visiting this country, please be adequately prepared to handle changing weather and this may happen with very short notice.
Because of the unique weather conditions, New Zealand has very little atmospheric pollution when compared to most countries in the world. However, the ozone levels are quite low in many parts of the country. Therefore, when visiting this country during the summer months of September to April one has to be careful. The UV rays could damage the skin especially from 10 am to 4 pm. This could happen even during sunny days and therefore try and stay in the shade as much as possible. Try wearing sunglasses, a hat, and full-sleeved dresses. Do not underestimate the importance of applying SPF 30+ sunscreen lotion every 30 minutes.
It is quite obvious from the above that there is no uniform snowing across the length and breadth of the country. It is restricted to some mountainous areas and inland areas that are away from the warm currents of oceans and seas.
What is winter like in New Zealand?
New Zealand has a temperate climate almost everywhere. The north has subtropical weather during the summer seasons. On the other side of the spectrum, the alpine areas of inland South New Zealand experience cold weather.
The mercury can dip to -10 degrees Centigrade. However, most of the country is located close to the sea coast. Therefore you can expect mild temperature, abundant sunshine, and moderate rainfall. Winters in these areas can be moderate but it could be quite biting in the inland areas and towards the mountainous areas.
New Zealand lies in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore the temperature goes southward as one travels south. The northernmost tip of the country mostly has a temperature of around 15 degrees centigrade, while in deep-south it could be cooler at around 9 degrees centigrade on an average basis. January and February are the warmest seasons as far as New Zealand is concerned.
Because of its small size and spread, there are no violent temperature changes, except for the deep-southern areas and the inland areas like Canterbury. New Zealand is notorious for its sudden weather changes and you could suddenly see sunny bright skies giving way to cold winds and the next moment you could see rains pouring downs. If you are a visitor to New Zealand as a tourist, be aware of these sudden changes in weather and take precautions accordingly. If you are going in for outdoor activities and hiking, keep the changing weather pattern always in mind.
Which is the coldest month in New Zealand?
July is the coldest month in this country. On the other hand, as mentioned above, January and February are the warmest months during a calendar year. The mean average temperatures keep increasing while one moves northward and keeps decreasing as we move towards the south of the country.
The mean average temperature in the north is around 16 degrees C and it is around 9 to 10 degrees towards the south. As mentioned a few times above, the winter temperatures could reach around -10 degrees centigrade in the inland areas and also the areas that are located around the mountains and glaciers. However, on the whole, you can expect almost the entire country to have pleasant and cool temperatures varying from 9 degrees to 16 degrees centigrade.
What months does it snow in New Zealand?
Snowfall typically happens during the months of June and continues till October. However, it is not uniform across the country. The south has more snow compared to the north. But there have been instances where cold snaps have occurred suddenly outside the months of June through October.
If you really want to enjoy bountiful snow and ice, you should move to the southern part, the inland areas like Canterbury and Otago and of course the mountainous and glacier areas. They include the Central Plateau in the North and of course the famous Southern Alps towards the south. If you are keen on enjoying winter sports then you should keep in mind the above areas. You will surely have a memorable trip visiting these places. Apart from offering a wide variety of winter sports activities, you also will love the overall climate, the pure air, and the scenic beauty that these places offer.
Does it snow everywhere in NZ?
No, it would be wrong to state that the entire country gets snowfall at some point in time of the year. Most of the snowfall is restricted to mountainous areas.
As mentioned earlier the Central Plateau of the North and the Alps to the south of the country, the inlands of Otago, and Canterbury are the most likely places where you will experience snow during the winter months. Yes, there could be some expenses and on rare occasions, you also could see snow in the coastal areas of the country. Most of the country is located in the coastal areas and therefore the majority of the population may not experience snowfall every year. If you want to enjoy snowfall and ice when visiting New Zealand, always move to the south, to the islands, and if not to the Central Plateau in the North.
Conclusion
New Zealand without any doubt is a wonderful destination to visit for those who want to see diverse climatic conditions and the varying flora and fauna associated with them. It also has some of the finest water sports to offer because of its majestic beaches and water bodies. You also can experience the best as far as snow and ice is concerned, details of which have been explained above.
