Weather in Nelson in December

A good month. December is a solid month to be in Nelson. Highs average 22.4 °C, lows 12.5 °C, and rain falls on 14 days — nothing in the month is working against you.

December ranks 6 of 12 in Nelson: past the worst of the year but short of February, which is the month to book if the dates are open.

Rain on 14 days, 3 of them heavy. Enough to need a plan B, not enough to need a plan around it. Nothing specialised needed — this is the month you pack for the trip rather than for the weather.

What the averages hide

Averages flatten a month, and this one hides a few things: it never really gets hot: not one day in an average December reaches 30 °C. Across the twenty years measured, the hottest December day reached 31.2 °C and the coldest night fell to 3.9 °C, and the wettest single day dropped 86 mm — roughly 91% of the month's rain in one day.

December is moderately variable: 29 mm in the driest year against 273 mm in the wettest, around an average of 95 mm. Roughly two Decembers in three land near that average, and the third does something else entirely.

Wind is light at 4.8 km/h, so the temperature on the page is close to the temperature on your skin, and humidity runs at 75%, high enough to notice on the warm days without dominating them.

How December sits in the year

The month is on the way up: 2.6 °C warmer than November, and January adds another 2.5 °C. Late in the month feels noticeably different from the start of it, which is worth knowing if the trip is short.

Daylight in December

December is at or near the longest days of Nelson's year: 15.1 hours of daylight, holding steady all month. Evenings are the real gain — dinner outdoors still happens in full light.

An inland climate

Despite being inland, the year stays fairly even: 20.1 °C between the year's warmest afternoons and coldest nights.

How busy it gets

Peak season. Expect the highest prices of the year and to be booking well ahead.

Crowd levels are estimated from climate desirability and school-holiday calendars, not from visitor numbers.

December in Nelson versus nearby

If Nelson is one option among several, the nearby comparison is worth making. Wellington is close enough to be a coin toss — 4.8 °C cooler, 2 days less rain. Greymouth is the weaker option in December — 4.4 °C cooler, 4 days more rain.

So: December works, with February the better month by 11 points if the dates can move. If they cannot, nothing here should stop you booking.

Every month in Nelson

See all twelve months in Nelson, or where else to go in December.