Does it snow in New Zealand?

New Zealand, this small country right beside Australia is a mystery worth discovering. Not only is it home to some of the most amazing natural locations in the world, but its overall impressive architecture and culture are simply worth the travel.

But New Zealand isn’t just about natural locations, there’s also something great about this country that no one seems to be talking about… And that’s nothing less than its very interesting climate.

SNOWIEST MONTH

June

July

August

SNOWIEST PLACES

Mount Ruapehu

Mount Taranaki

AVERAGE SNOW

8 inches

Index

    ❄ Does it snow in New Zealand? 🇳🇿

    ⛅ Climate of New Zealand

    New Zealand isn’t a particularly big country, at least not when you compare it to Australia, which is right there, and it’s at least ten times bigger than this tiny but amazing island.

    So no, New Zealand isn’t so much of a big country, since it is an small island located in the Pacific ocean. However, it is its unique location what makes New Zealand climate so weird and unique.

    Due to its small size and unique location in the world, New Zealand climate is quite a bit different than you would expect, since it is rather small after all. However, due it is many different landscapes, they have a very wide range of weathers across the country.

    New Zealand has a total of four different sub climates and a major one, which happens to reing amongst most of the area within the country. Now, let’s talk a bit about the main climate in this little island.

    This country has an overall maritime climate, which is really not a surprise when you take in their location. A maritime climate means the whole country goes through four very different seasons… But we will talk about that later on.

    As to the sub climates, you will find they are a bit all over the place. New Zealand has a total of four sub-climates, which are: tundra climate, subarctic, subpolar oceanic and oceanic, being the last one the most common one amongst the other four options.

    To sum everything up, New Zealand has one main climate that is pretty much common all over the country, but due to its very different landscapes, it also has several sub-climates presents in some regions of the country.

    🌨 When does it snow in New Zealand?

    Like we just previously said, New Zealand has a total of four very distinct seasons; however, unlike most countries in the world, they don’t happen during the same months as we are used to.

    As a matter of fact, they happen in the opposite months, much like in Australia, Uruguay, Argentina and other countries that experience the seasons in a different time than the rest of the world.

    • Spring time usually starts in September all the way to November.
    • Then comes summer, from December all the way to February.
    • After that comes autumn or fall time from March to May.
    • And finally winter time from June to August. Like we said, it’s a bit odd to get used to.

    Now, as to winter time, it isn’t necessarily as most countries. This is due to the the fact New Zealand has a very island-like weather most of the time, and doesn’t experience dramatically temperature drops in most places.

    However, there are some places in the country that do experience very low temperatures during winter time. It is truth, some regions don’t, but some totally do.

    So, in case you are wondering whether or not New Zealand experiences snow during winter season, the answer is yes. As a matter of fact, if you recall correctly, New Zealand has a couple of Tundra climates within their borders.

    Does it snow in New Zealand?

    Basically, winter time and snow time happen during the same months (meaning from June all the way to August), although snow might take some time to appear in some specifically places.

    Of course, that raises another very important question: does it snow during Christmas time in New Zealand? Well, to answer your question, no. Like you must have noticed, winter time (also known as snow time) doesn't happen during December.

    Summary
    To sum it up, winter time in New Zealand happens from June to August. Snow season happens during those same months, and no, sadly, it does not snow during Christmas time in New Zealand.

    🌨 Where does it snow in New Zealand?

    Let’s begin by remind you that yes, this country does get a lot of snow, but only in some very specific places, since most of the other regions get little to cero snowfall during the year.

    So, if you’re going to New Zealand because you want to experience the precious snow falls, you should go to either the South island, specifically the southern Alps, or to the northern island, since those places usually get the most snow.

    In the Northern Island you can find places like the Mount Ruapehu or Mount Taranaki; other than that it is very rare that you might get to see or experience snow in any other region of the country.

    How much does it snow in New Zealand?

    Let’s remind you one more time, the amount of snowfall you might get directly depends on the region of the country. It is obvious you’ll get way more snow in the northern and southern areas than in the coast regions.

    That being said, New Zealand can keep an average of 8 inches of snow daily, sometimes more (could be a total of 21 inches), creating a thick, very dense, vail of snow that will last during the whole season.

    Skiing in New Zealand

    You could go to to New Zealand to either enjoy the beautiful summertime and the beaches or to have some fun in the snow! If you’re leaning towards the fun in the snow option, here are some pretty amazing places you should totally visit:

    Cardrona

    When it comes to the top places to ski in New Zealand, then Cardona definitely comes in the very first spot. It’s breathtaking, with many options to for beginners and professionals and overall a very great place.

    Craigieburn

    This one is beautiful, yes, but trust us, it isn’t for beginners. As a matter of fact, this particular ski resorts it’s reserved for those who want a bit of a more extreme experience.

    MT Hutt

    Last, but not least, this place is perfect for everyone. With multiple snow slopes to enjoy, with many winter activities to engage and a beautiful view, this is the place everyone should visit during their first time skiing!

    So, are you finally ready to go to New Zealand and discover everything this beautiful country has to offer? Go, pack your bags and take the time to discover it!

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