Tongariro National Park Climate

The Tongariro National Park is like all of New Zealand in a temperate climate zone. The prevailing westerly winds in New Zealand take on the Tasman Sea water. The differences between the west and east are not great as for example in the New Zealand Alps, since the volcanoes are not part of a larger area and give a kind of chimney effect.

But the east side Rangipo Desert is substantially dry. In Whakapapa, the average rainfall at 2200 millimeters a year, in Ohakune at 1250 millimeters and at higher altitudes, as in Iwikau Village 4900 millimeters. The snow limit is usually around 1500 meters. The temperatures fluctuate considerably, sometimes even during the day. The average temperature is 13 ° C where the maximum is in summer at 25 ° C, the minimum in winter at -10 ° C. In some summers, the summit of the three snowy mountains of Ruapehu has always snow fields and glaciers.