Climate and average weather in Alice Springs
In Alice Springs, the summers are sweltering, fairly dry, and mostly clear and the winters are mild and clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Alice Springs typically varies from 5°C to 36°C, and is rarely below 1°C or above 41°C. January is the hottest month of the year, while June is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Alice Springs for warm-weather activities is from late April to mid September.
- Hottest
- Jan
- 36°
- Coldest
- Jun
- 6°
- Wettest
- Jan
- 41 mm
- Driest
- Aug
- 4 mm
- Rain / yr
- 232 mm
- 30 wet days
- Daylight
- 10.5–13.5 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 583 m
- 23.7°S
- Clearest
- Aug
- 13% cloud
Alice Springs is city in the Northern Territory, Australia.
- Density
- 174/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1872
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Alice Springs weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around late April to mid September.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Alice Springs, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 5.0 months, from October 25 to March 25, with daily high temperatures above 32°C. The hottest month of the year in Alice Springs is January, with an average high of 36°C and low of 23°C.
The cool season lasts 2.9 months, from May 20 to August 14, with daily high temperatures below 23°C. The coldest month of the year in Alice Springs is June, with an average low of 6°C and high of 20°C.
Days typically run about 14°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 36 | 35 | 33 | 29 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 28 | 31 | 34 | 35 |
| Avg low (°C) | 23 | 22 | 19 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 22 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 23 |
| Feb | 35 | 22 |
| Mar | 33 | 19 |
| Apr | 29 | 14 |
| May | 23 | 9 |
| Jun | 20 | 6 |
| Jul | 20 | 5 |
| Aug | 23 | 7 |
| Sep | 28 | 12 |
| Oct | 31 | 16 |
| Nov | 34 | 19 |
| Dec | 35 | 22 |
How hot and cold Alice Springs really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, Alice Springs feels like about 36°C (around January 9). About 152 days a year carry some heat stress, peaking in January.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 36 | 35 | 33 | 29 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 28 | 31 | 34 | 35 |
| Air high (°C) | 36 | 35 | 33 | 29 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 28 | 31 | 34 | 35 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 23 | 22 | 19 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 22 |
| Air low (°C) | 23 | 22 | 19 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 22 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 36 | 23 | 23 |
| Feb | 35 | 35 | 22 | 22 |
| Mar | 33 | 33 | 19 | 19 |
| Apr | 29 | 29 | 14 | 14 |
| May | 23 | 23 | 8 | 9 |
| Jun | 20 | 20 | 4 | 6 |
| Jul | 20 | 20 | 2 | 5 |
| Aug | 23 | 23 | 5 | 7 |
| Sep | 28 | 28 | 12 | 12 |
| Oct | 31 | 31 | 16 | 16 |
| Nov | 34 | 34 | 19 | 19 |
| Dec | 35 | 35 | 22 | 22 |
Average hourly temperature in Alice Springs
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on January afternoons, near 36°C, and coldest before dawn in June, near 6°C.
Alice Springs weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36° / 23° | 41 | 4.1 | 13.3 | 2.4 |
| Feb | 35° / 22° | 40 | 4.2 | 12.8 | 3.0 |
| Mar | 33° / 19° | 19 | 2.2 | 12.2 | 4.6 |
| Apr | 29° / 14° | 15 | 1.4 | 11.5 | 7.3 |
| May | 23° / 9° | 17 | 1.9 | 10.9 | 8.7 |
| Jun | 20° / 6° | 9 | 1.5 | 10.6 | 8.1 |
| Jul | 20° / 5° | 8 | 1.1 | 10.7 | 8.5 |
| Aug | 23° / 7° | 4 | 0.9 | 11.2 | 9.2 |
| Sep | 28° / 12° | 7 | 1.4 | 11.9 | 7.8 |
| Oct | 31° / 16° | 16 | 2.5 | 12.6 | 5.6 |
| Nov | 34° / 19° | 20 | 3.9 | 13.1 | 3.8 |
| Dec | 35° / 22° | 38 | 4.8 | 13.4 | 2.9 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Alice Springs gets about 232 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is mostly dry, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 4.5 months, from around Oct 27 to Mar 11, peaking in December at about 17% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Aug 8.
January is the wettest month by volume, with 41 mm over about 4 wet days; August is the driest, with 4 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 14 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 15 |
| Rain days | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14 | 4 |
| Feb | 14 | 4 |
| Mar | 7 | 2 |
| Apr | 5 | 1 |
| May | 6 | 2 |
| Jun | 5 | 2 |
| Jul | 4 | 1 |
| Aug | 3 | 1 |
| Sep | 5 | 1 |
| Oct | 8 | 3 |
| Nov | 13 | 4 |
| Dec | 15 | 5 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Alice Springs collects about 232 mm of rain across 30 wet days — roughly 19 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. January is the wettest month with 41 mm, while August is the driest at just 4 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 51% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 41 | 40 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 16 | 20 | 38 |
| Rain days | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 4 |
| Feb | 40 | 4 |
| Mar | 19 | 2 |
| Apr | 15 | 1 |
| May | 17 | 2 |
| Jun | 9 | 2 |
| Jul | 8 | 1 |
| Aug | 4 | 1 |
| Sep | 7 | 1 |
| Oct | 16 | 3 |
| Nov | 20 | 4 |
| Dec | 38 | 5 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Alice Springs, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around June 20 and lasts for 4.5 months, ending around November 3. The clearest month is August, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 92% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around November 4 and lasts for 4.4 months, ending around March 16. The cloudiest month is December, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 27% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 78 | 77 | 80 | 79 | 77 | 80 | 89 | 92 | 90 | 88 | 79 | 73 |
| Cloudier (%) | 22 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 20 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 21 | 27 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78 | 22 |
| Feb | 77 | 23 |
| Mar | 80 | 20 |
| Apr | 79 | 21 |
| May | 77 | 23 |
| Jun | 80 | 20 |
| Jul | 89 | 11 |
| Aug | 92 | 8 |
| Sep | 90 | 10 |
| Oct | 88 | 12 |
| Nov | 79 | 21 |
| Dec | 73 | 27 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around December 15, brings about 13 h 30 min of light; the shortest, around June 16, only 10 h 30 min — a swing of roughly 3 hours.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.3 | 12.8 | 12.2 | 11.5 | 10.9 | 10.6 | 10.7 | 11.2 | 11.9 | 12.6 | 13.1 | 13.4 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:04 | 6:24 | 6:39 | 6:51 | 7:05 | 7:18 | 7:20 | 7:03 | 6:33 | 6:03 | 5:45 | 5:47 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:23 | 7:14 | 6:49 | 6:18 | 5:56 | 5:51 | 6:00 | 6:14 | 6:25 | 6:36 | 6:55 | 7:14 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13.3 | 6:04 | 7:23 |
| Feb | 12.8 | 6:24 | 7:14 |
| Mar | 12.2 | 6:39 | 6:49 |
| Apr | 11.5 | 6:51 | 6:18 |
| May | 10.9 | 7:05 | 5:56 |
| Jun | 10.6 | 7:18 | 5:51 |
| Jul | 10.7 | 7:20 | 6:00 |
| Aug | 11.2 | 7:03 | 6:14 |
| Sep | 11.9 | 6:33 | 6:25 |
| Oct | 12.6 | 6:03 | 6:36 |
| Nov | 13.1 | 5:45 | 6:55 |
| Dec | 13.4 | 5:47 | 7:14 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Alice Springs averages about 21 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 16 and 27 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 4.3 months, from around Jun 16 to Oct 25. The sunniest month is August, with roughly 26 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is December, down near 18 sunny days — about 33% fewer than the August peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 20 | 18 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 26 | 27 | 23 | 23 | 19 | 18 |
| Sky | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | Bright |
| Feb | 18 | Bright |
| Mar | 22 | Bright |
| Apr | 20 | Bright |
| May | 21 | Bright |
| Jun | 22 | Bright |
| Jul | 26 | Brilliant |
| Aug | 27 | Brilliant |
| Sep | 23 | Brilliant |
| Oct | 23 | Bright |
| Nov | 19 | Bright |
| Dec | 18 | Bright |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Alice Springs, how humid it feels changes noticeably over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 4.1 months, from around November 19 to March 23. The muggiest month is January, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 23% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around March 24 to November 18, and June is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 100% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 65 | 66 | 81 | 94 | 97 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 98 | 93 | 83 | 72 |
| Comfortable (%) | 12 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 12 |
| Humid (%) | 10 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 10 |
| Muggy (%) | 10 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Oppressive (%) | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 4 |
| Feb | 66 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 4 |
| Mar | 81 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Apr | 94 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| May | 97 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 98 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 93 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 83 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Dec | 72 | 12 | 10 | 5 | 1 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Wind in Alice Springs is steady company: average speeds sit near 14 km/h — light breeze — in every month of the year, with no meaningful windy or calm season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | light breeze |
| Feb | 15 | light breeze |
| Mar | 15 | light breeze |
| Apr | 14 | light breeze |
| May | 13 | light breeze |
| Jun | 13 | light breeze |
| Jul | 13 | light breeze |
| Aug | 14 | light breeze |
| Sep | 15 | light breeze |
| Oct | 15 | light breeze |
| Nov | 15 | light breeze |
| Dec | 15 | light breeze |
Best time to visit Alice Springs
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Alice Springs throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late April, Alice Springs is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Alice Springs for general outdoor tourist activities is from mid April to mid September, with a peak score in the third week of August.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 2.4 | 3.0 | 4.6 | 7.3 | 8.6 | 8.1 | 8.5 | 9.2 | 7.8 | 5.6 | 3.8 | 2.9 |
| Rating | poor | poor | fair | good | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | ideal | good | fair | poor |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.4 | poor |
| Feb | 3.0 | poor |
| Mar | 4.6 | fair |
| Apr | 7.3 | good |
| May | 8.6 | ideal |
| Jun | 8.1 | ideal |
| Jul | 8.5 | ideal |
| Aug | 9.2 | ideal |
| Sep | 7.8 | ideal |
| Oct | 5.6 | good |
| Nov | 3.8 | fair |
| Dec | 2.9 | poor |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Alice Springs for hot-weather activities run from early March to mid May and again from mid August to mid November, with a peak score in the third week of September.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Alice Springs, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around January (highs near 36°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around June (highs near 20°C), pack a warm layer.
In January, Alice Springs sees daytime highs around 36°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. About 4 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in Alice Springs by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Alice Springs peaks around January 12 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 6 (high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 15 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High | High | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | Extreme |
| Feb | 14 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 10 | Very high |
| May | 7 | Very high |
| Jun | 6 | High |
| Jul | 6 | High |
| Aug | 8 | Very high |
| Sep | 10 | Very high |
| Oct | 13 | Extreme |
| Nov | 14 | Extreme |
| Dec | 15 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in Alice Springs
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in January the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 9 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 7.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 9 | 8.5 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 1 | 1.5 | 3.5 | 5 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | 7.5 |
| Feb | 8.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 8 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 7 | 4.5 |
| May | 6 | 3.5 |
| Jun | 5.5 | 1 |
| Jul | 5.5 | 1.5 |
| Aug | 6.5 | 3.5 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 8 | 6.5 |
| Nov | 8.5 | 7 |
| Dec | 9 | 7.5 |
Growing season
Alice Springs is mild enough that a frost-free day stays more likely than not even in midwinter.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 93 | 92 | 95 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 99 | 0 |
| Jun | 93 | 0 |
| Jul | 92 | 0 |
| Aug | 95 | 0 |
| Sep | 99 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Alice Springs banks about 4,268 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around January.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 601 | 515 | 495 | 343 | 196 | 88 | 84 | 162 | 305 | 419 | 492 | 568 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 601 |
| Feb | 515 |
| Mar | 495 |
| Apr | 343 |
| May | 196 |
| Jun | 88 |
| Jul | 84 |
| Aug | 162 |
| Sep | 305 |
| Oct | 419 |
| Nov | 492 |
| Dec | 568 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Alice Springs receives about 6.1 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — intense — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.9 and 7.9 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.7 months, from around Sep 12 to Apr 3. The brightest month is January, averaging about 7.6 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 4.0 kWh/m² — roughly 48% less than the January peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 7.7 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 5.7 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 5.2 | 6.2 | 7.2 | 7.5 | 7.4 |
| Level | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.7 | Intense |
| Feb | 7.0 | Intense |
| Mar | 6.5 | Intense |
| Apr | 5.7 | Bright |
| May | 4.5 | Bright |
| Jun | 3.9 | Moderate |
| Jul | 4.2 | Bright |
| Aug | 5.2 | Bright |
| Sep | 6.2 | Intense |
| Oct | 7.2 | Intense |
| Nov | 7.5 | Intense |
| Dec | 7.4 | Intense |
Where is Alice Springs?
Alice Springs sits at 23.7°S, 133.9°E, 583 m above sea level, in Australia. The nearest listed city is Uluru, 339 km away.
What Alice Springs looks like
Topography around Alice Springs
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Alice Springs.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Alice Springs has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 83 m around an average of 591 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 406 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 819 m.
The land around Alice Springs is covered by grassland (36%), artificial surfaces (31%) and shrubs (26%) within 3 km, grassland (51%) and shrubs (45%) within 16 km, and grassland (50%) and shrubs (46%) within 80 km.
Australia travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 1
- Exercise Normal Precautions
- Power plugs
- Type I
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 90% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $65,130
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.9 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 0.9
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 4.9
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Alice Springs (-23.6975°, 133.8836°, elevation 583 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).