Adelaide: A Winter Wonderland
- Does it snow in Adelaide?
- What is the temperature in Adelaide during winter?
- Activities in Adelaide during Winter
- Experience Illuminate Adelaide
- Join the Winter Reds Festival
- Explore the Vineyards via bike
- Eat and stay at the vineyards
- Try Murray River’s Houseboating Cruise
- Go ice skating
- Shop at the CBD
- Head to Glenelg Beach
- Visit the Adelaide Botanic Garden
- Stay at a winter hideaway
- FAQs about Snow in Adelaide
Winter is a beloved season in Adelaide. It’s the season of visually-appealing festivals and ice skating after all!
If you’re planning to visit our city during the season of brass monkey weather, there are some things you need to know first. But don’t worry because our team is here to provide you with all the important info you need!
Does it snow in Adelaide?
Snowing is a rare phenomenon in Adelaide. The last time the city experienced heavy snowfall was in July of 1951 when Adelaide Hills got covered by about 15 cm of snow.
On rare occasions, a light dusting of snow falls in some portions of South Australia like Mount Lofty and Adelaide Hills.
The rarity of snow in Adelaide has become a positive thing, though. For example, tourists and hikers from all over the country hike up Mount Lofty whenever snow falls on its summit.
What is the temperature in Adelaide during winter?
Adelaide’s temperature lowers to about 8°C to 16°C (46.5°F to 60.8°F) during winter. The cold season usually begins in early June and lasts until late August.
July is Adelaide’s coldest month during winter. The temperature around this time drops to 8°C (46.4°F), so we advise prepping your warmer outfits if you visit Adelaide during this period.
June, on the one hand, can drop to a temperature range of 9°C (48.2°F) to 10°C (50°F), but the average is around 11°C (51.8°F). Better pack your umbrellas and raincoats too because June is Adelaide’s wettest month with an average rainfall of 49 mm (1.9in).
August has the same temperature averages as June, but it’s not as rainy. If you like cold weather but hate rain, we recommend visiting Adelaide this month.
Activities in Adelaide during Winter
The cold never bothers Adelaide. It actually signifies the start of the city’s fantastic winter activities.
To help you plan a memorable winter escapade, our team picked the most exciting things to do and the best places to see in Adelaide during the cold season.
Experience Illuminate Adelaide
This annual winter festival is a feast for the eyes and the mind.
Illuminate Adelaide begins in late June and lasts until late July. It’s a festival that focuses on enchanting light displays and imaginative performances.
During Illuminate Adelaide, the city transforms into a futuristic metropolis with all the cutting-edge lasers and digital artwork adorning it.
We usually celebrate this festival by heading to light show concerts and art exhibits. Our team thinks you’ll enjoy them too because of how fun, bizarre, and mind-boggling they are!
Join the Winter Reds Festival
The Winter Reds Festival is a winter-themed celebration headed by the main wineries of Adelaide Hills. This event takes place on the final weekend of July.
We always go to this festival because of the amazing food and drinks the wineries provide. Plus, the shows we witness here are spectacular and jaw-dropping.
With fire dances and good old-fashioned concerts, the Winter Reds Festival is a must-experience celebration.
Explore the Vineyards via bike
Cold temperature makes cycling less exhausting. This is why we suggest exploring Adelaide’s picturesque vineyards during the winter season.
The Barossa Valley, Mclaren Vale, and Clare Valley are exceptionally quiet too during this period. We recommend picking only one if you’re a newbie, but if you’re an experienced cyclist, we suggest exploring two or more vineyards.
Last winter, we explored Mclaren Vale and the experience was unforgettable. The trails were more serene and the vineyards also had a lighter, kind of bluish glow.
Eat and stay at the vineyards
Winter promos are common in Adelaide’s vineyards.
During the cold season, the family-friendly restaurants and hotels of the city’s wine region offer cheaper food and lodging.
You’ll also see the sweeping views of the vineyard during winter, so this activity is a win-win situation. Here are the best winery restaurants where you can have a winter feast:
- Appellation at the Louise – Barossa Valley
- Coriole Vineyards Restaurant – Mclaren Vale
- The Bridgewater Mill – Adelaide Hills
- Hentley Farm – Barossa Valley
- Finno Seppeltsfield – Barossa Valley
Try Murray River’s Houseboating Cruise
This cruise is a perfect winter activity. Murray River from June to August becomes calmer and more beautiful.
The last time we took this cruise, the water was so clear that we could distinctly see the riverbed.
This cruise will also bring you to some of Adelaide’s best spots. You’ll see enchanting cliffs covered in fog, lush eucalyptus trees, and rare birds that only come out during winter.
Go ice skating
This is a no-brainer for us. Several ice rinks open in Adelaide during winter, and we think that you should experience ice skating in at least one of them.
The Illuminate Adelaide ice rink is a must-experience for us, though. Our team skated here last winter, and it was a different experience.
Illuminate Adeladie’s ice rink has upbeat live music and laser shows. It also has kiosks and bars that will serve you winter-themed food and drinks!
Shop at the CBD
The shopping districts and malls of Adelaide have winter discounts you can’t miss. Here’s the shopping route we commonly take every winter.
First, we head to Rundle Mall to purchase essentials like clothing or footwear. The big brands are generous with their winter sales, so check every stall if you can.
After shopping for essentials, we’d typically visit the world-famous Haigh’s Chocolate shop. Their winter prices are very cheap too!
Then, we’d visit the Adelaide Central Market to purchase some of their seasonal goods. These products are expensive during non-winter seasons, so we always grab the opportunity of getting them at extremely low prices!
Head to Glenelg Beach
Glenelg Beach isn’t just a summer paradise. During winter, several events take place in this renowned vacation spot.
With winter theme parks to ice skating rinks, Glenelg will keep you jovial!
If you love the cold like us, you can also try winter swimming in the safe shallows of Glenelg Beach. The water is more peaceful during winter and you don’t have to worry about getting sunburnt!
The fishing zone of Glenelg Beach also attracts a lot of salmon. If you want to catch some, just rent fishing equipment from nearby shops.
Visit the Adelaide Botanic Garden
Rare cultivars like camelia and polygala are in full bloom during winter. If you want to see them and more winter flowers, visit the Adelaide Botanic Garden.
In the botanic garden, you’ll also see various attractions like rose-adorned pathways and a majestic glasshouse.
On our last winter trip at the Adelaide Botanic Garden, the head gardeners even taught us how to grow cold-loving flowers like marigolds and petunias.
Stay at a winter hideaway
The modern cabins in the Kuitpo Forest and the elegant pavilions at Mclaren Vale are amazing winter getaway spots.
They are all equipped with exceptional amenities but our favorite has to be their traditional fireplaces.
We booked a stay in these accommodations before and we really love the experience.
The one in Kuitpo Forest added an adventuristic aspect to our stay as we did a lot of winter woodland exploration there.
The one in Mclaren Vale made us experience winter’s calmness at a very romantic spot. This place is fantastic for tourists who prefer a more laid-back winter hideaway.
