Queenstown weather in October

In October, Queenstown sees average daytime highs of 8°C and overnight lows near 1°C, with 133 mm of precipitation across 15.3 wet days and about 13.3 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 7°C in the first days to 10°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 10% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 30 min at the start of October to 14 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Queenstown's 7th-clearest and 4th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Queenstown's year-round climate.

Daytime high
7th warmest
Overnight low
6th coldest
Precipitation
133 mm
15.3 wet days
Daylight
13 h 18 min
6:52 AM – 8:09 PM
Cloud cover
73%
7th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
4th windiest
Solar energy
4.99 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.3
out of 10

Queenstown is resort town in Otago Region, New Zealand.

Founded
1863

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

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 7°C in the first days to 10°C by the end.

A typical October day in Queenstown reaches about 8°C in the afternoon and slips back to 1°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 4°C and 13°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 3°C warmer than September and about 3°C cooler than November.

-5°10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
170
270
370
470
570
670
770
870
970
1080
1180
1280
1380
1480
1580
1680
1781
1881
1991
2091
2191
2291
2391
2491
2591
26101
27102
28102
29102
30102
31102

How October really feels in Queenstown

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 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
31
wind chill below the day's low

The story in October is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Queenstown weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 7th-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan16° / 12712.30.5154.6
Feb16° / 9210.30.313.94.8
Mar14° / 10811.80.512.43.8
Apr11° / 10111.31.810.82.4
May / 12514.35.29.40.7
Jun / -3°9812.67.98.60.0
Jul / -4°9011.28.98.90.0
Aug / -2°8911.38.410.10.0
Sep / -1°12513.78.111.70.2
Oct / 13315.36.413.31.3
Nov11° / 13114.63.914.72.5
Dec14° / 13514.9115.43.6

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 10% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 74%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12773
22773
32773
42773
52773
62575
72575
82575
92575
102575
112575
122575
132575
142575
152575
162575
172575
182575
192575
202575
212575
222575
232575
242575
252674
262674
272674
282674
292674
302674
312674

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

Queenstown gets around 133 mm of rain and snow over 15.3 wet days in October. 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 52% on the wettest days, and about 6 days bring snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14624
24624
34724
44724
54724
64824
74924
84923
95023
105023
115123
125123
135223
145223
155223
165222
175222
185222
195221
205121
215120
225019
235018
244918
254817
264816
274715
284714
294613
304613
314612

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, October lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in October

Winds average 6 km/h in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 7 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
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 30 min at the start of October to 14 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 90 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 7:19 AM to 6:28 AM, and sunset from 7:49 PM to 8:30 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.57:197:49
212.67:177:51
312.67:167:52
412.77:147:53
512.77:127:54
612.87:107:56
712.87:087:57
812.97:067:58
912.97:048:00
1013.07:028:01
1113.07:018:02
1213.16:598:04
1313.16:578:05
1413.26:558:06
1513.26:548:08
1613.36:528:09
1713.36:508:10
1813.46:488:12
1913.46:478:13
2013.56:458:14
2113.56:438:16
2213.66:428:17
2313.66:408:19
2413.76:398:20
2513.76:378:21
2613.86:358:23
2713.86:348:24
2813.96:328:25
2913.96:318:27
3014.06:308:28
3114.06:288:30

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 4.99 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.18 kWh/m² to a high of 6.48 kWh/m² in January across the year — October's 4.99 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.4Bright
24.4Bright
34.5Bright
44.5Bright
54.6Bright
64.6Bright
74.7Bright
84.7Bright
94.7Bright
104.8Bright
114.8Bright
124.9Bright
134.9Bright
145.0Bright
155.0Bright
165.0Bright
175.1Bright
185.1Bright
195.2Bright
205.2Bright
215.2Bright
225.3Bright
235.3Bright
245.3Bright
255.3Bright
265.4Bright
275.4Bright
285.4Bright
295.5Bright
305.5Bright
315.5Bright
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit Queenstown?

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

1.3
Sightseeing
7th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

October is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Queenstown.

What to pack for Queenstown in October

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

In October, Queenstown sees daytime highs around 8°C and nights near 1°C. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 15 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

UV index in Queenstown in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Queenstown peaks around January 14 at about 11 (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 14UV 11Jun 16UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan11Extreme
Feb9Very high
Mar6High
Apr3Moderate
May2Low
Jun1Low
Jul2Low
Aug2Moderate
Sep5Moderate
Oct6High
Nov8Very high
Dec10Very high
Location & terrain

Where is Queenstown?

Queenstown sits at 45.0°S, 168.7°E, 0 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Wanaka, 53 km away.

InvercargillDunedinTekapoTimaruFranz JosefAshburtonRolleston

Topography around Queenstown

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Queenstown has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,008 m around an average of 513 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,956 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,884 m.

The land around Queenstown is covered by trees (42%) and water (32%) within 3 km, grassland (55%) and trees (25%) within 16 km, and grassland (64%) and trees (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
1,008 m
16 km
1,956 m
80 km
2,884 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewater
October weather nearby: Wanaka 53 km · Invercargill 154 km · Dunedin 172 km · Tekapo 184 km · Timaru 216 km · Franz Josef 219 km · Ashburton 274 km · Rolleston 337 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 Queenstown (-45.0302°, 168.6627°, 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. 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).