Best time to visit Mount Dobson

The climate in Mount Dobson through the year

When to go

Mount Dobson scores highest on Eddigo’s travel score in January and February, peaking at 69 out of 100 in February. A typical February day reaches 18°C and the night falls to 6°C, with rain on about 9 days and clear sky 46 % of the time. March is a fair alternative, with scores of 56. The lowest score is in October (34), when days are cool at around 11°C.

Seasons and rain

The seasons are moderate: daytime highs go from 4°C in July to 18°C in January. Nights typically drop below freezing in May–October. Precipitation is spread evenly over the year, from 71 mm in February to 116 mm in October (about 1,130 mm in all). Snow typically lies on the ground in June–August, deepest in August (about 20 cm).

Sea and daylight

The sea stays cool all year: it peaks at 18°C in February and falls to 10°C in August. Daylight lasts from about 9 hours in June to 15.5 hours in December. Mount Dobson lies about 1,250 m above sea level, which makes it roughly 8 degrees cooler than the lowlands around it.

By type of trip

The best months change with what you want to do. Each of Eddigo’s trip types has its own preferred daytime temperature and its own weights for rain, humidity and sun. Mount Dobson scores 65 or more in these months:

• City break (15–25 °C): November–March, up to 80
• Hiking (10–22 °C): January–May and October–November, up to 74
• Cooler weather (10–20 °C): September–May, up to 89

How it compares

Of the 37 destinations Eddigo covers in New Zealand, Mount Dobson is the 11th coolest over the year and the 6th driest. In February, when Mount Dobson scores 69, Mount Potts (53 km away) scores 54 and Ohau (77 km away) scores 73. In October, when Mount Dobson is at its lowest, Christchurch scores 64 and lies 170 km away. See where to go in February for the best destinations that month.