NZ Weather Forum

Milford Sound Climate
Queenstown Climate

Milford Sound is at a higher latitude, lower altitude and is closer to the ocean than Queenstown. The average temperatures, as well as the average lows during winter, are all higher than Queenstown's. Yet, its record low (-11.4C) is a full three degrees colder than Queenstown's record low (-8.4C). That wasn't a one-off aberration either, as Milford has recorded colder temperatures in all three winter months. It's even colder than Alexandra's record low (-11.2C).

Some of my curiosity is to what can make Milford so cold, but I'm also curious as to why Queenstown hasn't gotten any colder. It seems like temperatures of about -5C are not uncommon during winter, but it just can't get very much colder. Perhaps some of it is Lake Wakatipu moderating the temperatures, but it's barely colder (and in Milford's case, warmer) than some places right next to the ocean.

The last several winters have been very mild down here, with very little snow. The siting of the Milford Sound temperature sensor may have something to do with the readings. Or not. (I have no idea where and how it's installed, or what kind it is, or how it's read and by whom.)

The 1981−2010 normals cited by Wikipedia for Milford Sound Aero (3m asl) are correct. However, their record daily lows are from another planet. The lowest ever temp recorded at Milford Aero since records began in 1930 was -5.0C in July 1986, followed by -3.9C in both Sept 1989 and June 1941.

Also note that the Queenstown normals cited by Wikipedia are for Queenstown Aero in Frankton (354m asl), which is considerably cooler than the Queenstown Gardens site (329m asl) right next to Lake Wakatipu. Queenstown Aero's lowest ever temps since records began in 1969 were -12.2C, -12.0C and -11.0C in July 1995, followed by -9.0C in June 1972.

Milford station is at the airpot and is shaded from the sun by large trees on the sunny side, and at a guess i would say that any frost takes a very long time to melt( after 12pm) if at all.
I seen the station on a trip down there last month and did think to my self what i stupid spot.

Milford Sound (settlement) maybe by the sea, but it's at the head of a Fjord quite away from the open ocean. Plus it's surrounded by high mountains covered in snow this time of year.

melja wrote:Milford station is at the airpot and is shaded from the sun by large trees on the sunny side, and at a guess i would say that any frost takes a very long time to melt( after 12pm) if at all.
I seen the station on a trip down there last month and did think to my self what i stupid spot.

I think there are two WS's at Milford Sound Aero, the older one being near the centre runway, and MS's newer AWS (since 2000) a few hundred metres further SE.

Wikipedia climate stats are notoriously unreliable, and in many cases manipulated by "cheerleaders" for the place in question. The sunshine data in particular is laughably inaccurate and often pure fantasy.

Don't ever use it as a source of climate data - find better ones.

I spent a couple of days around Milford Sound in midwinter a few years ago and it was horribly cold with heavy frost that never thawed. I think the effect of deep shady valleys (= almost no sun) more than make up for low altitude and proximity to the sea at the head of the sound itself. I can still remember talking to my other half on the payphone at Milford Sound itself, it was 11 am and a clear blue-sky day, yet the whole valley was deeply frozen and the sun still hadn't cleared the mountains -- I was struggling to speak, I was so cold. So I'm not surprised that Milford has recorded lower temps.

harleyb wrote:I spent a couple of days around Milford Sound in midwinter a few years ago and it was horribly cold with heavy frost that never thawed. I think the effect of deep shady valleys (= almost no sun) more than make up for low altitude and proximity to the sea at the head of the sound itself. I can still remember talking to my other half on the payphone at Milford Sound itself, it was 11 am and a clear blue-sky day, yet the whole valley was deeply frozen and the sun still hadn't cleared the mountains -- I was struggling to speak, I was so cold. So I'm not surprised that Milford has recorded lower temps.

Did you even read the earlier posts?? Milford has NOT recorded lower lows! Reminds me of the web nonsense about Azizia's faulty world tmax record, even though it has been discredited.

Wikipedia has a lot to answer for!!

RWood wrote: Did you even read the earlier posts?? Milford has NOT recorded lower lows! Reminds me of the web nonsense about Azizia's faulty world tmax record, even though it has been discredited.

Whoops. I read the first post and skimmed the rest. Obviously failed to make the grade. I take it back, I was basking in sun in my shorts on that day if I recall correctly.

The real point is untrustworthy Wikipedia - there are idiots who keep altering the Wikipedia records in many cases, even when they start out correct.

Agreed.

There have been a lot of climate umm.. how do I put it nicely, "redirections or re-iterations" over in Queensland thanks to Wiki & it's user based influence. The end of the day we really need some full time reliable stations to report.. perhaps something you might be able to penpush RWood.. anything such as a spotter network here?

Dale wrote:Agreed.

There have been a lot of climate umm.. how do I put it nicely, "redirections or re-iterations" over in Queensland thanks to Wiki & it's user based influence. The end of the day we really need some full time reliable stations to report.. perhaps something you might be able to penpush RWood.. anything such as a spotter network here?

Someone with the spare time perhaps ... I and sometimes others have pointed out many errors in Wiki. stuff on the large US forum city-data, but there are still plenty there who happily quote W as gospel. There is someone who keeps "improving" Melbourne's data, apparently ...

There is the heavy shading in the valleys around Milford and on the coldest southerly flows they have fine weather so there will some good frost pockets in the Milford area. Snow lying is quite rare at Milford Sound township. The township is a bit of a dump, I think the National Park need to do a better job of looking after the town.