Wanaka in Spring
In spring (September, October and November), Wanaka sees average daytime highs around 11°C and overnight lows near 3°C, with 343 mm of precipitation over about 40 wet days across the season. It is the 3rd-warmest season and the wettest season of the year.
Over the season highs climb from about 7°C in early September to 14°C by late November. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time across spring, and the air most often feels dry.
Spring is Wanaka's 3rd-best season to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Wanaka's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 11°C
- 3rd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 3°C
- Precipitation
- 343 mm
- 40 wet days
- Avg wind
- 7 km/h
- Travel score
- 2.4
- 3rd-best season
- Months
- Sep · Oct · Nov
Temperature in Wanaka in Spring
Over the season highs climb from about 7°C in early September to 14°C by late November.
A typical spring day in Wanaka reaches about 11°C and drops to 3°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is November, the coolest September.
How spring really feels in Wanaka
Once humidity and wind are folded in, spring brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 44 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in spring is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.
Wanaka weather by month
How the three spring months (September, October and November) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17° / 9° | 113 | 11.2 | 0.1 | 15 | 5.4 |
| Feb | 18° / 9° | 81 | 9.3 | 0.1 | 13.9 | 5.6 |
| Mar | 15° / 7° | 96 | 10.5 | 0.1 | 12.4 | 4.6 |
| Apr | 12° / 4° | 89 | 10.2 | 0.5 | 10.8 | 3.2 |
| May | 8° / 2° | 104 | 12.7 | 2.2 | 9.4 | 1.4 |
| Jun | 4° / -1° | 85 | 10.6 | 4.3 | 8.7 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 3° / -3° | 79 | 9.7 | 5 | 9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 5° / -1° | 78 | 10.6 | 4.6 | 10.1 | 0.2 |
| Sep | 8° / 1° | 110 | 12.8 | 3.9 | 11.7 | 1.3 |
| Oct | 11° / 2° | 118 | 14 | 2.7 | 13.3 | 2.4 |
| Nov | 13° / 5° | 116 | 13.4 | 1.2 | 14.6 | 3.4 |
| Dec | 16° / 7° | 124 | 14.1 | 0.3 | 15.3 | 4.4 |
Cloud cover in Spring
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time across spring.
Chance of precipitation in Spring
Wanaka gets around 343 mm of rain and snow over 40 wet days across spring. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Spring
Most of spring feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Spring
Winds average 7 km/h across spring.
Sunrise & sunset in Spring
Daylight runs from about 10 h 54 min in early September to 15 h 06 min by late November. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Spring
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across spring, about 5.0 kWh/m².
Is spring a good time to visit Wanaka?
Our two travel scores rate spring for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
spring is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Wanaka.
What to pack for Wanaka in Spring
From spring's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In spring, Wanaka sees daytime highs around 11°C and nights near 3°C. Pack a warm layer, rain gear and sun protection. About 40 days see rain.
UV index in Wanaka in Spring
Clear-sky midday UV across spring averages 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 Wanaka peaks around January 15 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.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 11 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Level | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate | Low | Low | Low | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Extreme |
| Feb | 9 | Very high |
| Mar | 6 | High |
| Apr | 3 | Moderate |
| May | 2 | Low |
| Jun | 1 | Low |
| Jul | 2 | Low |
| Aug | 2 | Moderate |
| Sep | 5 | Moderate |
| Oct | 6 | High |
| Nov | 8 | Very high |
| Dec | 10 | Very high |
Where is Wanaka?
Wanaka sits at 44.7°S, 169.2°E, 0 m above sea level, in New Zealand. The nearest listed city is Queenstown, 53 km away.
Topography around Wanaka
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Wanaka.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Wanaka has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 258 m around an average of 325 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,573 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,837 m.
The land around Wanaka is covered by grassland (49%) and trees (23%) within 3 km, grassland (64%) within 16 km, and grassland (68%) and trees (20%) within 80 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
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 Wanaka (-44.7°, 169.15°, 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.