Franz Josef weather in February

In February, Franz Josef sees average daytime highs of 14°C and overnight lows near 6°C, with 228 mm of precipitation across 14.1 wet days and about 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 14°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in February, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 24 min at the start of February to 13 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, February is Franz Josef's 6th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Franz Josef's year-round climate.

Daytime high
14°
1st warmest
Overnight low
12th coldest
Precipitation
228 mm
14.1 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
7:01 AM – 8:47 PM
Cloud cover
69%
6th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
5.6 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.6
out of 10

Franz Josef is village in New Zealand.

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in February

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 14°C through the month.

A typical February day in Franz Josef reaches about 14°C in the afternoon and slips back to 6°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 11°C and 17°C. Set against its neighbours, February runs on par with January and about 2°C warmer than March.

10°15°20°151015202528
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1157
2157
3157
4157
5157
6157
7157
8147
9147
10147
11147
12147
13147
14147
15147
16147
17146
18146
19146
20146
21146
22146
23146
24146
25146
26136
27135
28135

How February really feels in Franz Josef

Once humidity and wind are folded in, February averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

February sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Franz Josef weather by month

How February compares with the rest of the year at a glance. February is the 1st-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan14° / 309160.814.83.3
Feb14° / 22814.10.913.83.6
Mar12° / 25114.11.412.43.0
Apr10° / 26413.52.810.81.9
May / -1°28615.16.79.50.7
Jun / -4°26113.18.78.80.0
Jul / -4°22812.810.69.10.0
Aug / -3°23214.611.810.20.0
Sep / -2°31616.712.111.70.1
Oct / -0°324191013.20.6
Nov / 30318.36.514.51.5
Dec12° / 34219.12.715.22.4

Cloud cover in February

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in February.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of February, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 66%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202528
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13466
23466
33466
43466
53367
63268
73268
83268
93169
103268
113268
123268
133268
143268
153169
163268
173268
183367
193466
203466
213565
223565
233664
243763
253763
263763
273862
283862

Chance of precipitation in February

Any precipitationSnow

Franz Josef gets around 228 mm of rain and snow over 14.1 wet days in February. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 49% and peaks near 50% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202528
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1502
2502
3502
4502
5502
6502
7503
8503
9503
10503
11503
12503
13503
14503
15504
16504
17494
18494
19494
20494
21494
22494
23494
24484
25484
26484
27474
28474

Humidity in February

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of February feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, February lands in the dry band about 98% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202528
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1955
2955
3955
4964
5964
6964
7964
8964
9964
10973
11973
12973
13982
14982
15982
16982
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
22991
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991

Wind in February

Winds average 6 km/h in February.

Across February, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202528
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm

Sunrise & sunset in February

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 24 min at the start of February to 13 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 72 minutes over February. Sunrise moves from 6:42 AM to 7:18 AM, and sunset from 9:04 PM to 8:28 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202528
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.46:429:04
214.36:439:03
314.36:459:02
414.26:469:01
514.26:478:59
614.26:498:58
714.16:508:57
814.16:518:56
914.06:538:55
1014.06:548:54
1114.06:558:52
1213.96:578:51
1313.96:588:50
1413.86:598:48
1513.87:018:47
1613.77:028:46
1713.77:038:44
1813.67:058:43
1913.67:068:42
2013.57:078:40
2113.57:098:39
2213.57:108:37
2313.47:118:36
2413.47:138:34
2513.37:148:32
2613.37:158:31
2713.27:168:29
2813.27:188:28

Solar energy in February

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in February, about 5.6 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.52 kWh/m² to a high of 6.64 kWh/m² in January across the year — February's 5.6 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202528
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.1Intense
26.1Intense
36.0Intense
46.0Bright
56.0Bright
65.9Bright
75.9Bright
85.8Bright
95.8Bright
105.7Bright
115.7Bright
125.7Bright
135.6Bright
145.6Bright
155.5Bright
165.5Bright
175.5Bright
185.4Bright
195.4Bright
205.4Bright
215.3Bright
225.3Bright
235.3Bright
245.2Bright
255.2Bright
265.1Bright
275.1Bright
285.0Bright
Planning a trip in February

Is February a good time to visit Franz Josef?

Our two travel scores rate February for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

3.6
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

February is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Franz Josef.

What to pack for Franz Josef in February

From February's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In February, Franz Josef sees daytime highs around 14°C and nights near 6°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: a warm layer and sun protection. About 14 days see rain.

rain geara warm layersun protection

Sea temperature near Franz Josef in February

The nearest coast averages about 18°C in February — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 25 km away) is warmest in February at about 18°C and coldest in August near 13°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

12°14°16°18°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan17Cool
Feb18Cool
Mar17Cool
Apr16Cool
May15Bracing
Jun14Bracing
Jul13Bracing
Aug13Bracing
Sep13Bracing
Oct13Bracing
Nov14Bracing
Dec16Cool

UV index in Franz Josef in February

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in February peaks around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Franz Josef peaks around January 15 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 16 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highModerateLowModerateHighVery highJan 15UV 10Jun 16UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb10Very high
Mar6High
Apr3Moderate
May2Low
Jun1Low
Jul2Low
Aug2Moderate
Sep4Moderate
Oct6High
Nov8Very high
Dec10Very high
Location & terrain

Where is Franz Josef?

Franz Josef sits at 43.4°S, 170.2°E, 0 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Tekapo, 73 km away.

AshburtonTimaruWanakaRollestonRangioraChristchurchQueenstown

Topography around Franz Josef

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Franz Josef.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Franz Josef has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,047 m around an average of 294 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,067 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,635 m.

The land around Franz Josef is covered by trees (72%) within 3 km, trees (59%) within 16 km, and water (29%), grassland (27%) and trees (23%) within 80 km.

3 km
1,047 m
16 km
3,067 m
80 km
3,635 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewater
February weather nearby: Tekapo 73 km · Ashburton 137 km · Timaru 141 km · Wanaka 167 km · Rolleston 179 km · Rangiora 194 km · Christchurch 198 km · Queenstown 219 km

New Zealand travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type I
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 86% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$49,591
2025
Happiness
7.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.5
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
9.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
no religion 49%Christian 37%objected to answering 7%Hindu 3%

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 Franz Josef (-43.3891°, 170.1819°, elevation 0 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).