Milford Sound climate data

Best times to travel

The best times to travel section shows how the months compare for a visit, so you can find the time of year that fits what you want to do.

Background colours of the months:
The colour shows the typical temperature: yellow (hot), green (mild) and blue (cold). How strong the colour is shows the travel season: full colour means high season, soft colour means shoulder season and soft-striped means off season.

Weather symbols:
Each month has one symbol showing what the weather is typically like, such as hot and sunny, freezing or a rainy or snowy season. Use them to quickly spot months that match the weather you want, or to avoid the ones that don't.

Crowdedness:
The people icon shows how busy the place usually is. The more people, the more crowded it gets.

Additional notes:
The grey info boxes point out special things worth knowing, like recurring weather issues or seasonal events.

for Milford Sound, New Zealand
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Jan
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Feb
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Mar
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Apr
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May
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Jun
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Jul
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Aug
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Sep
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Oct
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Nov
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Dec
High season: Jan. - March, Nov. - Dec.
Shoulder season: April - May, Sep. - Oct.
Tap on a month for more info Hover over a month for more info
Milford Road (SH94) often closes in winter for snow and avalanche risk; cruises and flights are cancelled in heavy rain or low cloud
Rain falls on over 180 days a year; heavy rain creates temporary waterfalls but can close the road
Average climate data for Milford Sound, New Zealand
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average maximum temperature (°C) 19 19 18 16 12 10 9 11 13 14 16 18 19
Average minimum temperature (°C) 10 10 9 7 4 2 2 2 4 6 8 10 2
Average precipitation (mm) 638 496 610 541 567 422 390 433 545 629 565 603 6,440
Average rainfall days (days) 16 13 15 15 16 14 14 15 16 18 16 17 184
Average relative humidity (%) 87 90 92 92 93 91 91 91 90 87 85 86 90
Average water temperature (°C) 16 16 16 15 14 13 12 12 12 12 13 14 14
Average daily daylight hours (h) 15 13 12 10 9 8 9 10 11 13 14 15 12
Average daily sunshine hours (h) 7 6 5 4 3 2 2 3 4 5 6 6 4
Average UV index 10 9 6 3 2 1 1 2 3 5 8 10 5

Minimum and maximum temperatures in Milford Sound

The warmest month, with the highest average maximum temperature, is February (18.9 °C). The month with the lowest average maximum temperature is July (9.3 °C). Overall, the average maximum temperature over the whole year is 14.5 °C.

The month with the highest average minimum temperature is January (10.4 °C). The coldest month, with the lowest average minimum temperature, is July (1.6 °C). Overall, the average minimum temperature over the whole year is 6.2 °C.

Water temperature in Milford Sound

The month with the highest average water temperature is January (16.1 °C). The month with the lowest average water temperature is September (11.9 °C). Overall, the average water temperature over the whole year is 13.7 °C.

Rainfall amount in Milford Sound

The wettest month, with the highest amount of precipitation, is January (638.4 mm). The driest month, with the least amount of precipitation, is July (390.2 mm). Over the whole year there are 6,439.8 mm of rainfall on average.

Rainfall days in Milford Sound

The month with the most days of rain is October (17.9 days). The month with the fewest days of rain is February (13.1 days). Over the whole year there are 184 days of rain on average.

Relative humidity in Milford Sound

The month with the highest average relative humidity is May (92.5 %). The month with the lowest average relative humidity is November (85 %). The overall average relative humidity over the whole year is 89.6 %.

Daylight hours and sunshine hours in Milford Sound

The month with the longest days, so the most daylight, is December (Average daylight: 15 h). The month with the shortest days, so the least daylight, is June (Average daylight: 8.1 h). Over the whole year there are 11.6 h of daylight per day on average.

The month with the most sunshine per day is January (Average sunshine: 7.1 h). The month with the least sunshine per day is July (Average sunshine: 1.9 h). Over the whole year there are 4.4 h of sunlight per day on average.

UV index in Milford Sound

The months with the highest average UV index are January and December (UV index: 10). The months with the lowest average UV index are June and July (UV index: 1). Over the whole year the average UV index is 5.

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