Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch - Weather

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    28

    Default Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch - Weather

    Forgive me if this question has been asked a million times already, but I'm curious to know more about the weather in particular parts of NZ.

    We are considering a move from the midwest US area, where for the most part, summers range 70-90 degrees F/21-32 degrees C and can be humid (where upon stepping outside you feel the weight of the air and immediately begin melting) or dry (where the sun is warm and there may or may not be a breeze).

    Winters are bitter, with warmest temps hitting maybe 40F/4C and dropping below 0F/-17C. Along with winter we receive LOTS of snow and generally, winters last a LONG time (4-5 months).

    In spring we get rain/storms and the occasional tornado. In autumn it may rain or we may start to see frost overnight.

    Given that information...could you shed some light on Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, please?

    I've heard that Auckland is HUMID and RAINY. Wellington is WINDY. Christchurch gets COLD. Been reading that houses get VERY COLD in the winter, is this true across the country? Aside from on the mountains, do you see much snow in NZ?

    I really enjoy warm, sunshiney days. If I can spend my day at a pool/beach then humid isn't all bad though I would really prefer NOT to feel like I'm melting for several days in a row. I dislike rain but understand the occasional shower is necessary. Living in a continuously gray, rainy town would be so disheartening, though. The cold & snow are reasons I'm eager for a move...while I can see a drop in temperatures as a nice relief from constant warm weather, I'd prefer not to wear a ski jacket around the house.

    **I realize I'm rattling on and you'll surely see me as someone who is "hard to please" and in part I am being picky but mostly I just really want to understand the severity of the descriptions (humid, cold, etc) that I'm reading. Thanks so much!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Celaya, Mexico
    Posts
    368

    Default

    That's why the temperature graphs are not always the greatest help. I sit here in Mexico in the winter with a ski jacket and scarf on because we don't have heating, the walls are not insulated and we don't have double glazing, even tho' the sun is shining outside.
    So I think part of the answer is how well the house you live in is insulated and glazed ... we froze in Cch. in July in our rented house - but loved the sun and blue skies as soon as we walked outside.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,824

    Default

    http://www.wunderground.com/history/...q_statename=NA On this website, you can alter the settings to show exactly what the weather has been doing in various places around NZ, under several headings, all through the year, a month at a time. This should let you put some numbers on the various descriptive words.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    28

    Default

    JandM,
    Thanks SO much for the link! Awesome!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    27

    Default

    A couple of generaly notes, NZ doesn't seem to have as extreme as temperatures as continental US. Additionally, everywhere is windy. Wellington is windier on average, but lots of places are quite windy. It has to due with the fact that the only other landmass at this lattitude is S. America. With a general Westerly flow that means winds have crossed most the globe picking up strength.

    Humidity normally means clouds, Auckland is quite cloudy. Though there are micro-climates(I've noticed Waiheke island is generally sunny for exampe), however it's not generally that cold. In the summer it's not that unreasonable for Cristchurch to be hotter (and always drier). Chch is down wind of a major mtn range so it's got a dry continental climate generally. Hot(sort of) summers, cold(sort of) winters, much less rainfall.
    Wellington is very mild, except the wind. Winters and summer only seem to be about 10 degrees(18f) different. Almost never freezes or seems to break 80. However 3-4 degrees(C) with a strong Southerly can feel worse than freezing and calm that you'd have in Chch.

    Homes are very poorly insulated, so something to consider.

    Also there is something about the sun here, blame it on the proximity to the sun for the S. hemi Summer or the ozone layer but it's true. Sweating in the sun, freezing in the shade is commmon. Also lots of microclimates due to the uneven terrain, i.e within 90 minutes of wellington it can be 100% different because you can be completely costal(Kapiti) or semi-continental(Marlborough). Even Wellingtons major suburban city 10 miles away can be quite different.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    Ōtepoti, Aotearoa
    Posts
    2,736

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by sea-wlg View Post
    Chch is down wind of a major mtn range so it's got a dry continental climate generally.
    IMHO the only area with 'continental' climate here in NZ is Central Otago: Winters down to <-15, summers up to >+35; generally dry and little rain.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    28

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by sea-wlg View Post
    A couple of generaly notes, NZ doesn't seem to have as extreme as temperatures as continental US. Additionally, everywhere is windy. Wellington is windier on average, but lots of places are quite windy. It has to due with the fact that the only other landmass at this lattitude is S. America. With a general Westerly flow that means winds have crossed most the globe picking up strength.

    Humidity normally means clouds, Auckland is quite cloudy. Though there are micro-climates(I've noticed Waiheke island is generally sunny for exampe), however it's not generally that cold. In the summer it's not that unreasonable for Cristchurch to be hotter (and always drier). Chch is down wind of a major mtn range so it's got a dry continental climate generally. Hot(sort of) summers, cold(sort of) winters, much less rainfall.
    Wellington is very mild, except the wind. Winters and summer only seem to be about 10 degrees(18f) different. Almost never freezes or seems to break 80. However 3-4 degrees(C) with a strong Southerly can feel worse than freezing and calm that you'd have in Chch.

    Homes are very poorly insulated, so something to consider.

    Also there is something about the sun here, blame it on the proximity to the sun for the S. hemi Summer or the ozone layer but it's true. Sweating in the sun, freezing in the shade is commmon. Also lots of microclimates due to the uneven terrain, i.e within 90 minutes of wellington it can be 100% different because you can be completely costal(Kapiti) or semi-continental(Marlborough). Even Wellingtons major suburban city 10 miles away can be quite different.
    Thanks for the detail! Info like this is what I'm after!

    Seems there's a give-and-take game we'll just have to play...weighing what we want most. Of course, majority of where we end up living is going to depend on where OH finds work...but at least we can "encourage" opportunities in the most desirable spots first.

    Many thanks to all who've replied. (Keep 'em coming if you've anything to add!!)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •