Potchefstroom climate
Potchefstroom (South Africa) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 19 °C66 °F, and about 554 mm22 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Potchefstroom climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3188 | 1763 | 2476 | 1003.9 | 0 |
| Feb | 3087 | 1762 | 2374 | 883.5 | 0 |
| Mar | 2984 | 1559 | 2271 | 652.6 | 0 |
| Apr | 2578 | 1152 | 1865 | 461.8 | 0 |
| May | 2272 | 744 | 1558 | 140.6 | 1 |
| Jun | 1966 | 338 | 1152 | 70.3 | 3 |
| Jul | 1966 | 236 | 1151 | 20.1 | 5 |
| Aug | 2373 | 541 | 1457 | 60.2 | 2 |
| Sep | 2882 | 1049 | 1965 | 140.5 | 0 |
| Oct | 3086 | 1356 | 2271 | 421.6 | 0 |
| Nov | 3187 | 1559 | 2373 | 692.7 | 0 |
| Dec | 3188 | 1762 | 2475 | 1024.0 | 0 |
| Year | 3188 | 236 | 1966 | 55422 | 12 |
“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 | 56% | 61% | 6.7 | 13:39 |
| Feb | 58% | 59% | 6.3 | 13:02 |
| Mar | 57% | 51% | 5.6 | 12:19 |
| Apr | 57% | 46% | 4.8 | 11:29 |
| May | 51% | 27% | 4.4 | 10:49 |
| Jun | 52% | 22% | 4.0 | 10:28 |
| Jul | 48% | 19% | 4.3 | 10:37 |
| Aug | 41% | 22% | 5.1 | 11:11 |
| Sep | 34% | 26% | 6.1 | 11:59 |
| Oct | 41% | 45% | 6.6 | 12:47 |
| Nov | 47% | 54% | 7.0 | 13:29 |
| Dec | 54% | 63% | 6.9 | 13:49 |
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 Potchefstroom is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 31 °C88 °F and a low of 17 °C63 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 19 °C66 °F and lows 2 °C36 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 13.6 °C24.4 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 554 mm22 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 52% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–September. The wettest month is December (102 mm4.0 in), the driest is July (2 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 34% in September to 58% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 19%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in March to 11 km/h (7 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 10.5 hours in June to 13.8 hours in December.
Best time to visit Potchefstroom
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March–May and August and September: average highs of 22 °C72 °F to 29 °C84 °F with 6 mm0.2 in to 65 mm2.6 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is December, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C88 °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 Potchefstroom
- Summer (December–February) — highs 3087 to 31 °C88 °F, lows around 17 °C62 °F, about 97 mm3.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2272 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 744 to 15 °C59 °F, about 42 mm1.6 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 1966 to 23 °C73 °F, lows 236 to 5 °C41 °F, about 5 mm0.2 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 2882 to 31 °C87 °F, lows 1049 to 15 °C59 °F, about 41 mm1.6 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.
How Potchefstroom compares
Compared with Klerksdorp, about 46 km to the west, Potchefstroom has practically the same average temperature and receives a similar amount of precipitation.
Of the 49 places in South Africa covered by World Climates, Potchefstroom is the 15th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 36th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the South Africa climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Córdoba (Argentina, Cwa), San Salvador de Jujuy (Argentina, Cwa) and Gweru (Zimbabwe, Cwa).
Nearby places
- Klerksdorp 46 km · 19 °C66 °F · 528 mm21 in
- Carletonville 49 km · 17 °C63 °F · 584 mm23 in
- Sasolburg 72 km · 17 °C63 °F · 550 mm22 in
- Soweto 90 km · 17 °C62 °F · 586 mm23 in
- Krugersdorp 97 km · 16 °C61 °F · 633 mm25 in
- Roodepoort 99 km · 16 °C60 °F · 642 mm25 in
- Kroonstad 105 km · 17 °C63 °F · 545 mm21 in
- Johannesburg 110 km · 16 °C60 °F · 642 mm25 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Potchefstroom?
January is the warmest month in Potchefstroom, with an average high of 31 °C (88 °F) and an average low of 17 °C (63 °F).
What is the coldest month in Potchefstroom?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 19 °C (66 °F) and an average low of 2 °C (36 °F).
When does it rain the most in Potchefstroom?
December is the wettest month with about 102 mm (4.0 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 2 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Potchefstroom?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March–May and August and 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 1,454 m, while Potchefstroom lies at about 1,335 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.8 °C1.4 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.