Dunedin weather in December
December in Dunedin: nice, rainy, with clean air — an excellent time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#4 of 12 months in Dunedin · #367 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 83/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 19°C
- Nights
- 9°C
- Wet days
- 15
- Sun
- 11 h
- Humidity
- 76%
- Daylight
- 16 h
Traveller notes on Dunedin in December
Other months in Dunedin
Forum posters describe July and August as the two coldest months of the year across New Zealand, but rate Dunedin as staying reasonably fine in August, without the more extreme cold seen elsewhere in the South Island's winter. Posters are direct that beach time is off the table in August, but describe plenty of other things to do - old stone architecture, museums and galleries, the Chinese Garden, the Settlers Museum, and a tour through Cadbury World among the highlights. Posters flag snow on nearby roads, like the Middlemarch route, as a real possibility this time of year, alongside snow-covered hills that posters describe as genuinely stunning. Posters generally recommend Dunedin as a solid winter city destination, provided visitors set expectations around indoor and cultural attractions rather than beach or outdoor summer activities.
February is New Zealand's most settled month and the quieter one — school holidays are over and accommodation is easier — and it is about as warm as Dunedin gets, an average high near 19°C. One forum visitor remembers the wind chill making it feel colder than Antarctica, and that is worth taking at face value: the city is exposed, locals say the weather changes day to day and hour to hour, and monthly averages run breezy here all year without singling February out. An average will not tell you what a southerly feels like on the day. A light waterproof and a fleece for the evening is the standing advice for a New Zealand February, and in Dunedin it is not optional.
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Dunedin climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Dunedin in December
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsCruise season at Port Chalmers, Christmas Day closures, Summer holidays in New Zealand(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Dunedin's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherDunedin's weather peaks January–March, best around February.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Dunedin in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Cruise season at Port Chalmers
1 Oct – 30 AprCrowdedPort Chalmers is one of the busiest cruise calls in New Zealand and takes several ships a week through the summer. On a big day the Octagon, the station and the peninsula tours belong to them until mid-afternoon. Source ↗
- Nature
Little penguins come ashore
1 Nov – 28 Feb · usuallyBirdlife seasonLittle penguins land at Pilots Beach below the albatross colony after dark every night of the year, but the numbers peak while there are chicks in the burrows. Viewing is from a boardwalk and the lights are red for a reason. Source ↗
- Holiday
Christmas Day closures
25–26 DecChristmas & New YearClosuresChristmas Day is one of the few days most shops must close by law, and many cafes, restaurants and tours shut too. Boxing Day is a public holiday as well, when shops reopen for the sales and the roads fill with families heading off on summer holiday. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Dunedin — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Dunedin?
Dunedin in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Dunedin?
- December in Dunedin: nice, rainy, with clean air — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #4 of 12 months for Dunedin on SeasonMap's comfort score (83/100).
- What is the weather like in Dunedin in December?
- In December, Dunedin averages a daily high of 18.5°C and a low of 9°C, with about 93.9 mm of rain over roughly 15.1 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Dunedin in December?
- Dunedin has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 24 in December.
Within 300 km: Queenstown's Lupins along the roads around 15 Nov – 5 Jan, and Lake Tekapo's Lupins along the lake around 15 Nov – 10 Jan.