December is one of the warmer months of the year in Te Anau, with average highs near 13.8°C and lows around 5.5°C (mean 9.7°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 192 mm of rainfall and 84% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the warmer months of the year in Te Anau. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in Te Anau was 2005 — when the month averaged 12.7°C — while the coldest was 2004 at 6.8°C. Typical December days reach 13.8°C with nights near 5.5°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
December is a relatively wet time of year in Te Anau, averaging 192 mm of rainfall. The wettest December on record was 2017 with 370 mm, while the driest was 2011 at 62 mm.
Relative humidity in Te Anau during December averages 84%. The most humid December was 2001 at 87%, and the least humid was 2011 at 80%.
December receives about 5.7 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Te Anau. The sunniest Decembers were 2011 and 2018 at 6.5 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest was 1995 at 4.7.
Average wind speed in Te Anau during December is 3.1 m/s. The windiest December was 1990 at 3.9 m/s, while the calmest were 2005, 2018 and 2022 at 2.5 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 9.6°C | 8.9°C | 9.3°C | 10.3°C | 10.4°C | +0.8°C |
| Avg High | 13.7°C | 13.1°C | 13.3°C | 14.6°C | 14.4°C | +0.7°C |
| Avg Low | 5.5°C | 4.8°C | 5.4°C | 6.0°C | 6.4°C | +0.9°C |
| Avg Rain | 173 mm | 169 mm | 178 mm | 201 mm | 264 mm | +91 mm |
December temperatures in Te Anau have risen by about 1.1°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of -0.8°C (2014) to a record high of 22.2°C (2002).
Rainfall in December is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 192 mm, with a wettest year of 370 mm.
One of the best times to visit Te Anau
December is one of the best times to visit Te Anau. Expect days averaging 13.8°C and nights around 5.5°C (mean 9.7°C) — warmer than Te Anau's yearly average — with higher rainfall (192 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 | 12.8°C | 8.9°C | 5.0°C | 18.3°C | 1.7°C | 311 mm | 84% | 3.2 m/s | — |
| 2024 | 15.4°C | 11.5°C | 7.5°C | 21.3°C | 0.2°C | 263 mm | 85% | 3.1 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2023 | 14.6°C | 10.6°C | 6.6°C | 20.4°C | 1.4°C | 316 mm | 85% | 3 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2022 | 15.7°C | 11.4°C | 7.2°C | 20.4°C | 1.9°C | 99 mm | 83% | 2.5 m/s | 6 |
| 2021 | 14.5°C | 10.3°C | 6.2°C | 20.1°C | 2.0°C | 274 mm | 85% | 3.1 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2020 | 13.6°C | 9.7°C | 5.9°C | 19.8°C | 1.3°C | 320 mm | 85% | 3.1 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2019 | 12.1°C | 8.6°C | 5.0°C | 18.1°C | 2.7°C | 320 mm | 86% | 3.5 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2018 | 15.9°C | 11.7°C | 7.5°C | 20.8°C | 2.0°C | 166 mm | 82% | 2.5 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2017 🌧️ | 16.0°C | 11.9°C | 7.8°C | 21.0°C | 3.6°C | 370 mm | 83% | 3.1 m/s | 6.2 |
| 2016 | 13.2°C | 8.9°C | 4.7°C | 19.3°C | 1.2°C | 169 mm | 84% | 3.5 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2015 | 14.0°C | 9.4°C | 4.9°C | 21.0°C | 1.0°C | 196 mm | 85% | 3.1 m/s | 6.1 |
| 2014 | 15.4°C | 10.7°C | 6.0°C | 21.5°C | -0.8°C | 141 mm | 83% | 2.7 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2013 | 13.9°C | 9.9°C | 6.0°C | 21.6°C | 1.1°C | 198 mm | 85% | 2.7 m/s | 5.5 |
| 2012 | 14.1°C | 9.7°C | 5.3°C | 21.3°C | 2.2°C | 182 mm | 84% | 3.3 m/s | 5.8 |
| 2011 | 16.5°C | 11.7°C | 6.8°C | 19.2°C | 2.1°C | 62 mm | 80% | 2.8 m/s | 6.5 |
| 2010 | 14.5°C | 10.3°C | 6.1°C | 20.6°C | 0.1°C | 202 mm | 85% | 3.4 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2009 | 12.8°C | 8.7°C | 4.6°C | 17.8°C | -0.3°C | 216 mm | 84% | 3.4 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2008 | 12.9°C | 8.9°C | 5.0°C | 17.1°C | 0.0°C | 165 mm | 85% | 3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2007 | 14.9°C | 10.3°C | 5.7°C | 21.1°C | 0.6°C | 167 mm | 84% | 2.8 m/s | 5.9 |
| 2006 | 11.6°C | 7.5°C | 3.4°C | 16.9°C | 0.4°C | 160 mm | 84% | 3 m/s | 5.6 |
| 2005 🔥 | 16.4°C | 12.7°C | 8.9°C | 21.6°C | 5.2°C | 92 mm | 84% | 2.5 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2004 ❄️ | 10.5°C | 6.8°C | 3.0°C | 17.6°C | 0.1°C | 219 mm | 86% | 2.9 m/s | 5.1 |
| 2003 | 13.0°C | 8.9°C | 4.9°C | 18.6°C | 1.1°C | 190 mm | 85% | 3.6 m/s | 5.7 |
| 2002 | 13.1°C | 9.3°C | 5.5°C | 22.2°C | 1.4°C | 214 mm | 86% | 3.3 m/s | 5.4 |
| 2001 | 14.2°C | 10.5°C | 6.9°C | 19.3°C | 0.2°C | 186 mm | 87% | 2.7 m/s | 5.3 |
| 2000 | 13.5°C | 9.6°C | 5.7°C | 17.0°C | 1.7°C | 172 mm | 84% | 3.5 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1999 | 12.9°C | 8.7°C | 4.5°C | 18.2°C | 0.6°C | 111 mm | 84% | 3 m/s | 6.2 |
| 1998 | 14.4°C | 10.3°C | 6.2°C | 20.9°C | 1.0°C | 147 mm | 83% | 2.8 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1997 | 10.9°C | 7.2°C | 3.5°C | 16.8°C | -0.7°C | 233 mm | 85% | 3.7 m/s | 5.2 |
| 1996 | 12.1°C | 8.2°C | 4.4°C | 19.5°C | 1.4°C | 159 mm | 84% | 3.3 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1995 | 12.9°C | 9.2°C | 5.5°C | 18.2°C | 1.4°C | 303 mm | 86% | 3.4 m/s | 4.7 |
| 1994 | 13.0°C | 8.7°C | 4.5°C | 18.3°C | 0.2°C | 194 mm | 84% | 3.4 m/s | 6 |
| 1993 | 14.0°C | 9.5°C | 5.0°C | 20.2°C | -0.7°C | 159 mm | 82% | 2.6 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1992 | 13.8°C | 9.2°C | 4.6°C | 18.8°C | -0.6°C | 126 mm | 81% | 2.8 m/s | 6.3 |
| 1991 | 14.2°C | 9.5°C | 4.7°C | 19.7°C | -0.6°C | 81 mm | 83% | 2.7 m/s | 6 |
| 1990 | 12.6°C | 8.9°C | 5.1°C | 19.0°C | 0.5°C | 181 mm | 85% | 3.9 m/s | 5.4 |
| 1989 | 13.4°C | 9.1°C | 4.8°C | 18.3°C | 0.4°C | 174 mm | 82% | 3.5 m/s | 6 |
| 1988 | 15.3°C | 11.1°C | 7.0°C | 20.3°C | 1.4°C | 146 mm | 83% | 3.5 m/s | 5.7 |
| 1987 | 12.5°C | 8.7°C | 4.8°C | 18.5°C | 0.8°C | 122 mm | 84% | 3.1 m/s | 5.3 |
| 1986 | 15.0°C | 10.7°C | 6.4°C | 20.6°C | 2.2°C | 149 mm | 82% | 2.8 m/s | 6.1 |
| 1985 | 15.1°C | 10.8°C | 6.5°C | 18.6°C | -0.4°C | 135 mm | 83% | 2.6 m/s | 6 |
| 1984 | 14.7°C | 10.5°C | 6.2°C | 21.6°C | 2.9°C | 227 mm | 84% | 2.7 m/s | 5.8 |
| 1983 | 11.5°C | 7.7°C | 3.8°C | 19.2°C | 0.1°C | 224 mm | 85% | 3.1 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 11.4°C | 7.4°C | 3.4°C | 16.7°C | -0.6°C | 153 mm | 86% | 3.2 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 14.4°C | 10.5°C | 6.6°C | 19.7°C | 2.5°C | 226 mm | 85% | 2.6 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around 13.8°C with lows near 5.5°C (mean 9.7°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 192 mm of rainfall in Te Anau, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 370 mm in 2017.
The hottest December reached 22.2°C in 2002. The coldest dipped to -0.8°C in 2014.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 1.1°C. Daytime highs moved from 13.4°C to 14.6°C and overnight lows from 5.3°C to 6.5°C over the same span.
December is one of the warmer months of the year in Te Anau and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 13.8°C daytime highs and 5.5°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 10th coolest month in Te Anau, averaging 9.7°C.
For December in Te Anau, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 13.8°C and lows of 5.5°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in December averages 84% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in December is 3.1 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 3.9 m/s (1990).
The wettest December on record was 2017 with 370 mm. On average, December sees 192 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 Te Anau 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.
