SeasonMapTe Anau (Milford Sound) weather by month
New Zealand
The best time to visit Te Anau (Milford Sound) is January to March — 88/100 in January, 18°C and 13 rainy days. The best season is summer, December to February (86/100 on average).
The worst month is July at 65/100 — cold, rainy, clean air. See July →
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Planning the wider trip? Best time to visit New Zealand →
Te Anau, month by month
Comfort score out of 100 for the kind of trip Te Anau is best for, the average high, rainy days and hours of sun a day from the climate normals, and how busy it tends to be.
| Month | Score | Tier | High | Rain | Sun | Crowds | On |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanJanuary | 88 | A | 18°C | 13 d | 11 h | Peak | 3 |
| FebFebruary | 86 | A | 18°C | 13 d | 10 h | Busy | 3 |
| MarMarch | 85 | A | 16°C | 13 d | 9 h | Busy | 2 |
| AprApril | 78 | B | 13°C | 13 d | 7 h | Busy | 2 |
| MayMay | 70 | B | 11°C | 16 d | 6 h | Shoulder | 2 |
| JunJune | 70 | B | 8°C | 13 d | 5 h | Quiet | 1 |
| JulJuly | 65 | C | 8°C | 18 d | 5 h | Busy | 1 |
| AugAugust | 72 | B | 9°C | 16 d | 7 h | Shoulder | 1 |
| SepSeptember | 69 | C | 10°C | 18 d | 8 h | Busy | 1 |
| OctOctober | 75 | B | 12°C | 19 d | 9 h | Busy | 3 |
| NovNovember | 81 | A | 15°C | 17 d | 10 h | Busy | 4 |
| DecDecember | 84 | A | 17°C | 18 d | 11 h | Peak | 4 |
What's on in Te Anau through the year
Festivals, natural spectacles, holidays and the seasons to watch out for — curated and sourced. The month pages carry the detail.
- May
- Milford road avalanche season1 May – 30 Nov (usually)Hazard
- Great Walks booking day8–25 May (usually)Rule
- October
- Sandflies at their worst1 Oct – 30 Apr (usually)Hazard
- Great Walks season25 Oct – 30 Apr (usually)Season
- November
- Kepler Challenge28 Nov – 10 Dec (usually)Festival
- December
- New Zealand summer holidays20 Dec – 1 Feb (usually)Holiday
Crowds in Te Anau in January
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 crowdsNew Zealand summer holidays, Summer holidays in New Zealand, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet