Franz Josef weather in January

In January, Franz Josef sees average daytime highs of 14°C and overnight lows near 6°C, with 309 mm of precipitation across 16 wet days and about 14.8 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-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 11% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 15 h 12 min at the start of January to 14 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Franz Josef's 9th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Franz Josef's year-round climate.

Daytime high
14°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
11th coldest
Precipitation
309 mm
16 wet days
Daylight
14 h 54 min
6:22 AM – 9:15 PM
Cloud cover
73%
9th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
6.64 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.3
out of 10

Franz Josef is village in New Zealand.

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

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

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

A typical January 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 10°C and 17°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 2°C warmer than December and on par with February.

10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1135
2135
3136
4136
5136
6136
7136
8136
9136
10136
11146
12146
13146
14146
15146
16146
17146
18146
19146
20146
21146
22146
23146
24147
25147
26147
27147
28147
29157
30157
31157

How January really feels in Franz Josef

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January 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

January 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 January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 2nd-warmest and 4th-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 January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 72%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12575
22377
32377
42476
52476
62476
72575
82575
92575
102674
112674
122674
132674
142773
152773
162773
172773
182872
192872
202971
213169
223169
233367
243367
253367
263367
273565
283565
293565
303565
313466

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Franz Josef gets around 309 mm of rain and snow over 16 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 53% and peaks near 57% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1575
2575
3575
4574
5574
6574
7573
8573
9573
10572
11562
12562
13562
14552
15542
16542
17532
18522
19512
20502
21502
22492
23482
24482
25482
26482
27482
28492
29492
30492
31502

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the dry band about 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
14991
15991
16991
17991
18991
19982
20982
21982
22982
23973
24973
25973
26973
27964
28964
29964
30964
31955

Wind in January

Winds average 6 km/h in January.

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

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 15 h 12 min at the start of January to 14 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 48 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:07 AM to 6:41 AM, and sunset from 9:18 PM to 9:05 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
115.26:079:18
215.26:089:18
315.16:099:18
415.16:109:18
515.16:119:18
615.16:129:18
715.16:139:18
815.16:149:17
915.06:159:17
1015.06:169:17
1115.06:179:17
1215.06:189:17
1315.06:199:16
1414.96:209:16
1514.96:219:15
1614.96:229:15
1714.96:239:15
1814.86:249:14
1914.86:269:14
2014.86:279:13
2114.76:289:12
2214.76:299:12
2314.76:309:11
2414.66:329:10
2514.66:339:10
2614.66:349:09
2714.56:359:08
2814.56:379:07
2914.56:389:06
3014.46:399:06
3114.46:419:05

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.64 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

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 — January's 6.64 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.0Intense
27.0Intense
37.0Intense
46.9Intense
56.9Intense
66.8Intense
76.8Intense
86.7Intense
96.7Intense
106.6Intense
116.6Intense
126.5Intense
136.5Intense
146.5Intense
156.4Intense
166.4Intense
176.4Intense
186.4Intense
196.4Intense
206.4Intense
216.3Intense
226.3Intense
236.3Intense
246.3Intense
256.3Intense
266.3Intense
276.3Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Franz Josef?

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

3.3
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

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

What to pack for Franz Josef in January

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

In January, Franz Josef sees daytime highs around 14°C and nights near 6°C. Pack rain gear and sun protection. Worth having: a warm layer. About 16 days see rain.

rain gearsun protectiona warm layer

Sea temperature near Franz Josef in January

The nearest coast averages about 17°C in January — 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 January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 11 (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
January 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).