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City in Otago, New Zealand
Queenstown
Lakeside resort town in Otago, the base for Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Cardrona.
Forecast updated , when it was 01:00 in Queenstown (GMT+12).
Queenstown snow forecast
Next 24 hours
No snow in the next 24 hours.
No snow expected in the next 7 days.
Medium confidence, one model shows some snow
No snow is forecast for Queenstown in the next 7 days, though one weather model shows a little. Expect temperatures from 3 to 12 °C (37 to 54 °F), the freezing level near 1,800 m (5,900 ft) and gusts up to 55 km/h (34 mph) over the next day.
- Temperature now
- 8 °C (46 °F)
- Freezing level
- 1,800 m (5,900 ft)
- Wind
- 6 km/h (4 mph), gusts 18 km/h (11 mph)
Queenstown hour by hour
Hourly snowfallShow the hours as a table
| Time | Weather | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|
| Now | Rain | None |
| 2am | Rain | None |
| 3am | Rain | None |
| 4am | Rain | None |
| 5am | Rain | None |
| 6am | Rain | None |
| 7am | Rain | None |
| 9am | Rain | None |
| 1pm | Rain | None |
| 3pm | Rain | None |
| 4pm | Rain | None |
| 5pm | Rain | None |
| 6pm | Rain | None |
| 7pm | Rain | None |
| 8pm | Rain | None |
Hours not listed are dry. Times are local (GMT+12).
Queenstown 7-day snow forecast
| Day | Weather | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|
| Today | Rain3 to 12 °C (37 to 54 °F) · gusts 55 km/h (34 mph) · freezing level 1,600 m (5,200 ft) | No snow |
| Sun | Dry3 to 10 °C (37 to 50 °F) · gusts 45 km/h (28 mph) · freezing level 1,300 m (4,300 ft) | No snow |
| Mon | Rain4 to 14 °C (39 to 57 °F) · gusts 64 km/h (40 mph) · freezing level 2,150 m (7,100 ft) | No snow |
| Tue | Rain1 to 9 °C (34 to 48 °F) · gusts 63 km/h (39 mph) · freezing level 1,150 m (3,800 ft) | No snow |
| Wed | Dry0 to 8 °C (32 to 46 °F) · freezing level 850 m (2,800 ft) | No snow |
| Thu | Dry1 to 12 °C (34 to 54 °F) · freezing level 1,250 m (4,100 ft) | No snow |
| Fri | Rain3 to 11 °C (37 to 52 °F) · freezing level 1,450 m (4,800 ft) | No snow |
Queenstown 14-day snow outlook
Days 8 to 14. Only two of our three models run this far ahead, and forecasts at this range often change, so read this as a guide to the pattern rather than a plan.
| Day | Weather | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 26 Sep | Rain5 to 11 °C (41 to 52 °F) | No snow |
| Sun 27 Sep | Dry3 to 9 °C (37 to 48 °F) | No snow |
| Mon 28 Sep | Dry2 to 11 °C (36 to 52 °F) | No snow |
| Tue 29 Sep | Dry4 to 11 °C (39 to 52 °F) | No snow |
| Wed 30 Sep | Rain4 to 10 °C (39 to 50 °F) | No snow |
| Thu 1 Oct | Dry7 to 13 °C (45 to 55 °F) | No snow |
| Fri 2 Oct | Dry5 to 14 °C (41 to 57 °F) | No snow |
How much snow is there in Queenstown?
No snow on the ground
This is an estimate from weather models, not a measurement, so it can differ from the depth a resort reports on its pistes.
Where is Queenstown?
- Region
- Otago
- Country
- New Zealand
- Elevation
- 318 m
- Population
- 29,000
When does it snow in Queenstown?
In Queenstown, snow falls on about 5 days in September in a typical year, the snowiest month. Snow is regular from May to October.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 days | 0 days | <1 days | <1 days | 2 days | 3 days | 5 days | 4 days | 5 days | 3 days | 1 days | <1 days |
Average days each month with at least 1 cm of snowfall, 2016–2025. Calculated from ERA5 reanalysis data.
Snow in Queenstown month by month
Averages for 2016 to 2025, from ERA5 reanalysis data.
| Month | Snow days | Share of the year's snow | Low to high |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 0% | 13 to 21 °C (55 to 70 °F) |
| February | 0 | 0% | 12 to 21 °C (54 to 70 °F) |
| March | <1 | 1% | 11 to 19 °C (52 to 66 °F) |
| April | <1 | 2% | 8 to 15 °C (46 to 59 °F) |
| May | 2 | 8% | 6 to 12 °C (43 to 54 °F) |
| June | 3 | 13% | 3 to 7 °C (37 to 45 °F) |
| July | 5 | 18% | 2 to 7 °C (36 to 45 °F) |
| August | 4 | 13% | 2 to 8 °C (36 to 46 °F) |
| September | 5 | 23% | 4 to 11 °C (39 to 52 °F) |
| October | 3 | 16% | 6 to 14 °C (43 to 57 °F) |
| November | 1 | 5% | 9 to 17 °C (48 to 63 °F) |
| December | <1 | 1% | 11 to 19 °C (52 to 66 °F) |
Snow in Queenstown in May
In May, Queenstown gets snow on about 2 days, and the month brings about 8% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 6 to 12 °C (43 to 54 °F).
Snow in Queenstown in June
In June, Queenstown gets snow on about 3 days, and the month brings about 13% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 3 to 7 °C (37 to 45 °F).
Snow in Queenstown in July
In July, Queenstown gets snow on about 5 days, and the month brings about 18% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 2 to 7 °C (36 to 45 °F).
Snow in Queenstown in August
In August, Queenstown gets snow on about 4 days, and the month brings about 13% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 2 to 8 °C (36 to 46 °F).
Snow in Queenstown in September
In September, Queenstown gets snow on about 5 days, and the month brings about 23% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 4 to 11 °C (39 to 52 °F).
Snow in Queenstown in October
In October, Queenstown gets snow on about 3 days, and the month brings about 16% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 6 to 14 °C (43 to 57 °F).
Which winters were snowiest in Queenstown?
Of the last ten winters in Queenstown, 2016 was the snowiest, about 91% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2020, about 52% below average. The biggest single day of snowfall in the record was 11 October 2016.
| Winter | Compared with average | |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 191% of average | |
| 2017 | 57% of average | |
| 2018 | 133% of average | |
| 2019 | 59% of average | |
| 2020 | 48% of average | |
| 2021 | 52% of average | |
| 2022 | 102% of average | |
| 2023 | 112% of average | |
| 2024 | 108% of average | |
| 2025 | 139% of average |
Winters are compared with each other rather than given in centimetres. The ERA5 record is reliable on which winters were big and which were lean, but it underestimates absolute snowfall in the mountains, so the resort's own measured totals are the ones to trust for amounts.
Questions about snow in Queenstown
Does Queenstown have snow in mid-July?
Queenstown had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on 12 July in 9 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 5 to 18 July in 8 of those years.
How many days a year does it snow in Queenstown?
It snows on about 25 days a year in Queenstown, counting days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, averaged over 2016 to 2025. September has the most, about 5 days.
What is the snowiest month in Queenstown?
September is the snowiest month in Queenstown, bringing about 23% of the year's snowfall, based on ERA5 reanalysis data for 2016 to 2025.
Which recent winter was the snowiest in Queenstown?
Of the last ten winters in Queenstown, 2016 was the snowiest, about 91% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2020, about 52% below average.
How cold does Queenstown get in winter?
July is the coldest month in Queenstown, with average daily lows of 2 °C (36 °F) and highs of 7 °C (45 °F).
Snow forecasts near Queenstown
Nearest ski resorts to Queenstown
Sources: Queenstown on Wikidata, Elevation from the Open-Meteo terrain model at the city centre coordinates