Climate
The West Coast is made up of three Districts - Westland, Grey and Buller and has an oceanic (or marine) climate. The climate is greatly dependent on its exposure to weather systems from the Tasman Sea and the Southern Alps to the east and generally features warm summers and cool winters, with a relatively narrow annual temperature range.
The weather throughout the West Coast is dramatic and therefore can be pretty exciting - when it rains, it pours and when it's sunny, it's beautifully sunny. Although our average annual rainfall can be high, dry spells do occur, especially in late summer and during winter. Summers on the West Coast can get so hot that the only place to be is a lake or river. We even had a drought in 2012!
Winters in the Grey District are very special. They are often the driest part of the year and consist of mild temperatures - we are much warmer than Christchurch and Queenstown. There can be weeks in a row of near perfect sunshine with fresh snow on the mountains for the added bonus of good views.
Places on the West Coast actually experience more sunshine hours than many other places in New Zealand and there are not many middle-of-the-road grey, overcast days. According to the NIWA 2014 Annual Climate Summary, Greymouth had 1,999 sunshine hours (only marginally less than Christchurch at 2,110).
Average daily temperatures (highs and lows) for the West Coast, including the Grey District, are below. Please note that even though temperatures can seem moderate, the sun is 'strong' which means skin can burn quickly and things can feel much hotter!
| SEASON | MONTHS | AVERAGE TEMP - C | AVERAGE TEMP - F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | December - February | 12-25C | 53-77F |
| Autumn | March - May | 9-17C | 48-63F |
| Winter | June - August | 5-15C | 41-57F |
| Spring | September - November | 9-17C | 48-63F |
A few more tips that you may not know about our weather are:
- During winter months the alpine passes of Arthur's and Lewis can be icy and do periodically get snow. For further information and current winter driving conditions, please visit the New Zealand Transport Agency website.
- Spring is generally our wettest time of the year. Without the rain, we would not have the lush groves of palms and other thriving plantings the West Coast is famous for.
- Summers are mild. Typical summer daytime maximum air temperatures range from 17C to 22C and seldom exceed 25C.
- Typical winter daytime maximum air temperatures ranges from 10C to 15C.
