January is one of the cooler months of the year in Nelson, with average highs near 5°C and lows around 1.1°C (mean 3.1°C). It is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 108 mm of rainfall and 95% relative humidity across the period.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Nelson. Across 45 years of records, the warmest January in Nelson was 2007 — when the month averaged 5.6°C — while the coldest was 1985 at -0.7°C. Typical January days reach 5°C with nights near 1.1°C. The long-term trend is warming, about 0.3°C per decade.
January is a relatively wet time of year in Nelson, averaging 108 mm of rainfall. The wettest January on record was 2008 with 205 mm, while the driest was 1997 at 18 mm.
Relative humidity in Nelson during January averages 95%. The most humid January was 1982 at 97%, and the least humid was 1984 at 93%.
January receives about 0.7 kWh/m²/day of solar energy in Nelson. The sunniest Januarys were 1985, 1992 and 2001 at 0.8 kWh/m²/day, and the cloudiest were 1984 and 2008 at 0.5.
Average wind speed in Nelson during January is 4.3 m/s. The windiest January was 1983 at 6.3 m/s, while the calmest was 1997 at 2.6 m/s.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | 2.2°C | 3.0°C | 3.8°C | 2.9°C | 3.5°C | +1.3°C |
| Avg High | 4.1°C | 4.9°C | 5.7°C | 4.8°C | 5.5°C | +1.4°C |
| Avg Low | 0.3°C | 1.1°C | 1.9°C | 1.0°C | 1.5°C | +1.2°C |
| Avg Rain | 105 mm | 112 mm | 113 mm | 101 mm | 113 mm | +9 mm |
January temperatures in Nelson have risen by about 1.2°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
January has ranged from a record low of -9.6°C (1982) to a record high of 11.7°C (2015).
Rainfall in January is a relatively wet time of year, averaging 108 mm, with a wettest year of 205 mm.
A quieter season to visit Nelson
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of July and August tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Nelson. That said, January — with days averaging 5°C and nights around 1.1°C (mean 3.1°C) and higher rainfall (108 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | Avg High | Avg Temp | Avg Low | Hottest Day | Coldest Day | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.1°C | 2.1°C | 0.0°C | 8.9°C | -7.3°C | 102 mm | 96% | 3.2 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2024 | 5.7°C | 3.6°C | 1.6°C | 10.8°C | -4.5°C | 154 mm | 95% | 4 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2023 | 6.3°C | 4.3°C | 2.3°C | 10.6°C | -2.2°C | 110 mm | 95% | 4.4 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2022 | 6.2°C | 3.9°C | 1.6°C | 11.6°C | -1.9°C | 49 mm | 95% | 3.7 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2021 | 3.7°C | 1.9°C | 0.1°C | 8.8°C | -2.7°C | 164 mm | 95% | 3.4 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2020 | 7.0°C | 5.2°C | 3.4°C | 10.7°C | 0.3°C | 100 mm | 96% | 4.4 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2019 | 4.7°C | 2.6°C | 0.6°C | 8.9°C | -2.8°C | 55 mm | 95% | 3.4 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2018 | 5.4°C | 3.6°C | 1.9°C | 10.0°C | -2.0°C | 123 mm | 95% | 4.6 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2017 | 5.1°C | 3.1°C | 1.1°C | 8.8°C | -3.0°C | 66 mm | 96% | 3.4 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2016 | 5.7°C | 3.9°C | 2.2°C | 11.7°C | -3.2°C | 158 mm | 95% | 4.4 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2015 | 5.4°C | 3.3°C | 1.2°C | 11.7°C | -2.1°C | 117 mm | 93% | 5.3 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2014 | 5.8°C | 4.1°C | 2.4°C | 9.0°C | -1.0°C | 157 mm | 95% | 4.5 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2013 | 3.8°C | 2.2°C | 0.6°C | 9.9°C | -5.2°C | 87 mm | 96% | 3.9 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2012 | 5.9°C | 3.9°C | 1.9°C | 10.2°C | -2.2°C | 92 mm | 95% | 4.7 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2011 | 3.9°C | 1.8°C | -0.3°C | 9.2°C | -3.3°C | 90 mm | 96% | 3.1 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2010 | 1.9°C | 0.2°C | -1.5°C | 5.8°C | -5.8°C | 63 mm | 96% | 3.3 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2009 | 3.9°C | 2.0°C | 0.2°C | 8.4°C | -5.5°C | 122 mm | 95% | 3.9 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2008 🌧️ | 6.9°C | 5.1°C | 3.2°C | 10.8°C | -1.2°C | 205 mm | 95% | 5.2 m/s | 0.5 |
| 2007 🔥 | 7.5°C | 5.6°C | 3.8°C | 10.9°C | -2.0°C | 148 mm | 93% | 5.9 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2006 | 5.0°C | 3.0°C | 0.9°C | 9.4°C | -2.2°C | 50 mm | 96% | 3.3 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2005 | 7.0°C | 4.9°C | 2.8°C | 10.9°C | -2.2°C | 97 mm | 94% | 5.8 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2004 | 6.0°C | 4.1°C | 2.2°C | 9.8°C | -2.3°C | 144 mm | 95% | 4.4 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2003 | 4.9°C | 3.2°C | 1.5°C | 10.0°C | -5.2°C | 94 mm | 95% | 4.6 m/s | 0.7 |
| 2002 | 6.3°C | 4.4°C | 2.4°C | 10.4°C | -5.0°C | 112 mm | 96% | 4.5 m/s | 0.6 |
| 2001 | 3.6°C | 1.9°C | 0.2°C | 6.3°C | -3.6°C | 58 mm | 96% | 3.5 m/s | 0.8 |
| 2000 | 6.0°C | 3.9°C | 1.9°C | 9.1°C | -1.2°C | 99 mm | 96% | 4.3 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1999 | 6.1°C | 4.2°C | 2.2°C | 10.7°C | -2.3°C | 147 mm | 95% | 4.6 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1998 | 5.5°C | 3.7°C | 1.8°C | 10.9°C | -1.7°C | 148 mm | 95% | 4.1 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1997 | 3.0°C | 0.9°C | -1.2°C | 7.2°C | -5.3°C | 18 mm | 96% | 2.6 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1996 | 3.9°C | 2.7°C | 1.5°C | 8.5°C | -3.7°C | 65 mm | 94% | 5.2 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1995 | 4.9°C | 2.6°C | 0.4°C | 9.8°C | -3.3°C | 158 mm | 95% | 5.1 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1994 | 5.2°C | 3.4°C | 1.6°C | 9.2°C | -2.5°C | 136 mm | 95% | 5.1 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1993 | 5.8°C | 3.6°C | 1.4°C | 10.4°C | -5.7°C | 134 mm | 93% | 5.9 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1992 | 4.7°C | 2.6°C | 0.5°C | 9.2°C | -5.4°C | 47 mm | 96% | 3.2 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1991 | 3.5°C | 1.4°C | -0.6°C | 10.0°C | -3.9°C | 103 mm | 94% | 4.1 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1990 | 6.7°C | 5.0°C | 3.2°C | 10.8°C | 0.1°C | 160 mm | 94% | 5.6 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1989 | 6.8°C | 4.8°C | 2.9°C | 10.4°C | -0.1°C | 57 mm | 95% | 4.6 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1988 | 5.3°C | 3.6°C | 2.0°C | 10.4°C | -1.3°C | 147 mm | 96% | 4.4 m/s | 0.7 |
| 1987 | 1.4°C | -0.6°C | -2.6°C | 7.7°C | -7.9°C | 41 mm | 95% | 3 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1986 | 3.4°C | 1.6°C | -0.1°C | 8.7°C | -4.4°C | 135 mm | 94% | 5.4 m/s | 0.6 |
| 1985 ❄️ | 1.4°C | -0.7°C | -2.8°C | 7.5°C | -8.8°C | 73 mm | 96% | 3.2 m/s | 0.8 |
| 1984 | 3.3°C | 1.5°C | -0.3°C | 9.3°C | -4.9°C | 159 mm | 93% | 5.2 m/s | 0.5 |
| 1983 | 6.6°C | 4.6°C | 2.7°C | 10.5°C | -1.5°C | 136 mm | 94% | 6.3 m/s | — |
| 1982 | 3.1°C | 1.3°C | -0.5°C | 8.5°C | -9.6°C | 98 mm | 97% | 4 m/s | — |
| 1981 | 5.5°C | 3.4°C | 1.3°C | 8.9°C | -2.8°C | 97 mm | 94% | 4.5 m/s | — |
Actual recorded January data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in January is around 5°C with lows near 1.1°C (mean 3.1°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
January averages 108 mm of rainfall in Nelson, a relatively wet time of year. The wettest on record was 205 mm in 2008.
The hottest January reached 11.7°C in 2015. The coldest dipped to -9.6°C in 1982.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average January temperatures have risen by about 1.2°C. Daytime highs moved from 4°C to 5.2°C and overnight lows from 0.1°C to 1.1°C over the same span.
January is one of the cooler months of the year in Nelson and a relatively wet time of year, so plan for around 5°C daytime highs and 1.1°C at night.
Yes — January is the coldest month of the year in Nelson, averaging 3.1°C.
For January in Nelson, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 5°C and lows of 1.1°C. Bring an umbrella or light rain jacket too.
Relative humidity in January averages 95% — quite humid.
Average wind speed in January is 4.3 m/s. The windiest January on record averaged 6.3 m/s (1983).
The wettest January on record was 2008 with 205 mm. On average, January sees 108 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 Nelson behaves each January, 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 January specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
