December is one of the warmer months of the year in Queenstown, with average highs near 16°C and lows around 7.1°C (mean 11.6°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 120 mm of rainfall and 83% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the warmer months of the year in Queenstown. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in Queenstown was 2018 — when the month averaged 13.4°C — while the coldest was 1996 at 9.3°C. Typical December days reach 16°C with nights near 7.1°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.2°C per decade.
December is one of the drier months in Queenstown, averaging 120 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 2005 with 253 mm, while the driest was 1994 at 42 mm.
Relative humidity in Queenstown during December averages 83%. The most humid Decembers were 2001 and 2005 at 86%, and the least humid was 2015 at 79%.
December receives about 6.2 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Queenstown. The sunniest December was 1994 at 7 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 2005 at 5.2.
Average wind speed in Queenstown during December is 2.4 m/s. The windiest December was 2005 at 3.2 m/s, while the calmest were 1991 and 2011 at 1.9 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 11.5°C | 11.1°C | 11.4°C | 12.1°C | 11.7°C | +0.2°C |
| Avg High | 16.1°C | 15.6°C | 15.7°C | 16.6°C | 16.2°C | +0.1°C |
| Avg Low | 6.8°C | 6.6°C | 7.1°C | 7.6°C | 7.2°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg Rain | 128 mm | 118 mm | 134 mm | 110 mm | 108 mm | -20 mm |
December temperatures in Queenstown have stayed relatively stable across the record.
December has ranged from a record low of 0.1°C (1996) to a record high of 26.7°C (1998).
Rainfall in December is one of the drier months, averaging 120 mm, with a wettest year of 253 mm.
One of the best times to visit Queenstown
December is one of the best times to visit Queenstown. Expect days averaging 16°C and nights around 7.1°C (mean 11.6°C) — warmer than Queenstown's yearly average — with higher rainfall (120 mm), so conditions are generally comfortable for sightseeing and outdoor plans.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14.7°C | 10.5°C | 6.3°C | 23.3°C | 3.9°C | 116 mm | 83% | 2.9 m/s | — |
| 2024 | 16.6°C | 12.6°C | 8.5°C | 24.7°C | 4.6°C | 153 mm | 84% | 2.8 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2023 | 17.0°C | 12.5°C | 8.1°C | 24.7°C | 3.7°C | 98 mm | 83% | 2 m/s | 6.3 |
| 2022 | 17.5°C | 12.1°C | 6.8°C | 26.7°C | 2.5°C | 84 mm | 80% | 2.1 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2021 | 16.1°C | 11.4°C | 6.8°C | 22.1°C | 1.9°C | 53 mm | 81% | 2.4 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2020 | 15.3°C | 10.9°C | 6.5°C | 23.6°C | 3.5°C | 145 mm | 83% | 2.7 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2019 | 15.4°C | 11.1°C | 6.9°C | 26.1°C | 3.7°C | 113 mm | 83% | 2.7 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2018 🔥 | 18.4°C | 13.4°C | 8.4°C | 23.5°C | 4.5°C | 110 mm | 80% | 2.1 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2017 | 16.6°C | 12.5°C | 8.4°C | 23.8°C | 5.9°C | 87 mm | 82% | 2.7 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2016 | 16.5°C | 12.1°C | 7.6°C | 26.4°C | 2.6°C | 126 mm | 83% | 2.6 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2015 | 18.3°C | 13.2°C | 8.0°C | 26.3°C | 3.6°C | 91 mm | 79% | 2.3 m/s | 6.8 |
| 2014 | 16.7°C | 12.2°C | 7.8°C | 21.1°C | 5.3°C | 109 mm | 84% | 2.2 m/s | 6 |
| 2013 | 15.6°C | 11.5°C | 7.3°C | 26.1°C | 3.6°C | 131 mm | 84% | 2.5 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2012 | 15.7°C | 11.4°C | 7.1°C | 22.8°C | 2.9°C | 128 mm | 84% | 2.5 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2011 | 17.3°C | 12.4°C | 7.6°C | 22.3°C | 1.2°C | 58 mm | 81% | 1.9 m/s | 6.9 |
| 2010 | 15.5°C | 11.3°C | 7.2°C | 22.7°C | 3.5°C | 148 mm | 84% | 2.6 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2009 | 16.0°C | 11.5°C | 7.1°C | 25.1°C | 3.8°C | 119 mm | 83% | 2.6 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2008 | 14.0°C | 10.0°C | 5.9°C | 21.0°C | 2.2°C | 137 mm | 84% | 2.7 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2007 | 17.3°C | 12.5°C | 7.7°C | 25.3°C | 5.1°C | 144 mm | 81% | 2.6 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2006 | 15.3°C | 10.5°C | 5.6°C | 21.9°C | 2.1°C | 88 mm | 82% | 2.4 m/s | 6.4 |
| 2005 🌧️ | 15.8°C | 11.9°C | 8.1°C | 24.1°C | 4.6°C | 253 mm | 86% | 3.2 m/s | 5.2 |
| 2004 | 17.2°C | 12.7°C | 8.1°C | 24.4°C | 3.5°C | 83 mm | 83% | 2.2 m/s | 6.7 |
| 2003 | 17.1°C | 12.3°C | 7.6°C | 23.9°C | 3.7°C | 99 mm | 82% | 2.5 m/s | 6 |
| 2002 | 16.0°C | 11.8°C | 7.6°C | 23.4°C | 3.3°C | 124 mm | 85% | 2.5 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2001 | 13.3°C | 9.7°C | 6.1°C | 20.0°C | 2.4°C | 144 mm | 86% | 2.3 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2000 | 15.3°C | 11.1°C | 7.0°C | 24.5°C | 3.4°C | 148 mm | 82% | 2.8 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1999 | 16.7°C | 11.9°C | 7.2°C | 25.0°C | 3.6°C | 110 mm | 81% | 2.5 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1998 | 16.7°C | 12.0°C | 7.4°C | 26.7°C | 3.6°C | 139 mm | 84% | 2.6 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1997 | 14.5°C | 10.4°C | 6.4°C | 20.5°C | 3.4°C | 145 mm | 85% | 2.5 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1996 ❄️ | 13.8°C | 9.3°C | 4.8°C | 20.3°C | 0.1°C | 96 mm | 83% | 2.5 m/s | 6.4 |
| 1995 | 14.0°C | 9.6°C | 5.3°C | 21.7°C | 0.8°C | 93 mm | 84% | 2.5 m/s | 6 |
| 1994 | 17.4°C | 12.2°C | 7.0°C | 25.8°C | 4.0°C | 42 mm | 79% | 2.3 m/s | 7 |
| 1993 | 15.1°C | 10.7°C | 6.2°C | 23.5°C | 3.0°C | 160 mm | 86% | 2.7 m/s | 5.6 |
| 1992 | 17.0°C | 12.4°C | 7.9°C | 23.5°C | 3.1°C | 108 mm | 83% | 2 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1991 | 15.7°C | 11.4°C | 7.0°C | 21.2°C | 2.9°C | 107 mm | 85% | 1.9 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1990 | 15.2°C | 10.9°C | 6.6°C | 23.7°C | 2.1°C | 176 mm | 84% | 2.5 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1989 | 16.8°C | 11.9°C | 7.0°C | 24.1°C | 3.0°C | 121 mm | 81% | 2.5 m/s | 6.6 |
| 1988 | 17.1°C | 12.3°C | 7.4°C | 25.4°C | 4.1°C | 88 mm | 83% | 2.3 m/s | 6.5 |
| 1987 | 15.1°C | 10.6°C | 6.1°C | 21.8°C | 2.9°C | 87 mm | 82% | 2.2 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1986 | 15.0°C | 10.7°C | 6.4°C | 22.6°C | 3.6°C | 211 mm | 83% | 2.6 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1985 | 16.9°C | 12.6°C | 8.3°C | 23.0°C | 5.7°C | 193 mm | 84% | 2.2 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1984 | 14.9°C | 10.2°C | 5.5°C | 23.5°C | 1.7°C | 221 mm | 83% | 2.5 m/s | 6 |
| 1983 | 16.8°C | 12.1°C | 7.4°C | 24.9°C | 2.8°C | 48 mm | 81% | 2.1 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 16.0°C | 11.3°C | 6.5°C | 22.7°C | 0.9°C | 95 mm | 81% | 2.4 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 16.3°C | 11.6°C | 6.9°C | 23.0°C | 4.2°C | 90 mm | 81% | 2.3 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around 16°C with lows near 7.1°C (mean 11.6°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 120 mm of rainfall in Queenstown, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 253 mm in 2005.
The hottest December reached 26.7°C in 1998. The coldest dipped to 0.1°C in 1996.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 0.2°C. Daytime highs moved from 16.2°C to 16.4°C and overnight lows from 6.9°C to 7.3°C over the same span.
December is one of the warmer months of the year in Queenstown and one of the drier months, so plan for around 16°C daytime highs and 7.1°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 9th coolest month in Queenstown, averaging 11.6°C.
For December in Queenstown, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 16°C and lows of 7.1°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in December averages 83% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in December is 2.4 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 3.2 m/s (2005).
The wettest December on record was 2005 with 253 mm. On average, December sees 120 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Queenstown behaves each December, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for December specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
