Alice Springs climate
Alice Springs (Northern Territory, Australia) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C73 °F, and about 278 mm11 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Alice Springs climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38100 | 2374 | 3187 | 542.1 | 0 |
| Feb | 3798 | 2272 | 2985 | 381.5 | 0 |
| Mar | 3493 | 1967 | 2780 | 291.1 | 0 |
| Apr | 3086 | 1559 | 2373 | 120.5 | 0 |
| May | 2476 | 1050 | 1763 | 140.5 | 0 |
| Jun | 2069 | 642 | 1356 | 80.3 | 0 |
| Jul | 2170 | 542 | 1356 | 140.6 | 1 |
| Aug | 2475 | 745 | 1660 | 30.1 | 0 |
| Sep | 3085 | 1355 | 2170 | 80.3 | 0 |
| Oct | 3493 | 1762 | 2577 | 170.7 | 0 |
| Nov | 3697 | 2068 | 2882 | 341.3 | 0 |
| Dec | 3799 | 2272 | 3085 | 461.8 | 0 |
| Year | 38100 | 542 | 2373 | 27811 | 1 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35% | 45% | 7.6 | 13:27 |
| Feb | 35% | 38% | 7.3 | 12:55 |
| Mar | 36% | 36% | 6.6 | 12:17 |
| Apr | 35% | 28% | 5.8 | 11:34 |
| May | 42% | 28% | 4.7 | 10:59 |
| Jun | 49% | 23% | 4.2 | 10:41 |
| Jul | 45% | 20% | 4.5 | 10:48 |
| Aug | 35% | 15% | 5.6 | 11:18 |
| Sep | 29% | 24% | 6.5 | 11:59 |
| Oct | 26% | 31% | 7.3 | 12:41 |
| Nov | 29% | 41% | 7.6 | 13:18 |
| Dec | 32% | 50% | 7.4 | 13:35 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Alice Springs is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 38 °C100 °F and a low of 23 °C74 °F. The coldest is June, when highs average 20 °C69 °F and lows 6 °C42 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 17.5 °C31.5 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is dry, with about 278 mm11 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 50% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: April–October. The wettest month is January (54 mm2.1 in), the driest is August (3 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 26% in October to 49% in June. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 15%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 10 km/h (6 mph) in July to 14 km/h (8 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 10.7 hours in June to 13.6 hours in December.
Best time to visit Alice Springs
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–September: average highs of 20 °C69 °F to 30 °C85 °F with 3 mm0.1 in to 14 mm0.6 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is hot, with average highs of 38 °C100 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Alice Springs
- Summer (December–February) — highs 3798 to 38 °C100 °F, lows 2272 to 23 °C74 °F, about 46 mm1.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2476 to 34 °C93 °F, lows 1050 to 19 °C67 °F, about 18 mm0.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 2069 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 542 to 7 °C45 °F, about 9 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 3085 to 36 °C97 °F, lows 1355 to 20 °C68 °F, about 20 mm0.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Alice Springs compares
Of the 39 places in Australia covered by World Climates, Alice Springs is the 8th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 38th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Australia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Monclova (Mexico, BSh), Torreón (Mexico, BWh) and Ciudad Acuña (Mexico, BSh).
Nearby places
- Wyndham 1,094 km · 28 °C83 °F · 1,006 mm40 in
- Broken Hill 1,182 km · 18 °C65 °F · 208 mm8.2 in
- Darwin 1,290 km · 28 °C82 °F · 1,654 mm65 in
- Nuriootpa 1,296 km · 16 °C60 °F · 405 mm16 in
- Adelaide 1,329 km · 17 °C62 °F · 430 mm17 in
- Townsville 1,424 km · 25 °C77 °F · 875 mm34 in
- Cairns 1,449 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,935 mm76 in
- Marble Bar 1,479 km · 27 °C81 °F · 428 mm17 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Alice Springs?
January is the warmest month in Alice Springs, with an average high of 38 °C (100 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (74 °F).
What is the coldest month in Alice Springs?
June is the coldest month, with an average high of 20 °C (69 °F) and an average low of 6 °C (42 °F).
When does it rain the most in Alice Springs?
January is the wettest month with about 54 mm (2.1 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 3 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Alice Springs?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May–September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 685 m, while Alice Springs lies at about 583 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.7 °C1.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.