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Climate and Average Weather Year Round in McMurdo Station Antarctica

In McMurdo Station, the summers are short and freezing; the winters are long, frigid, snowy, and windy; and it is partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from -18°F to 33°F and is rarely below -30°F or above 38°F.

Climate in McMurdo Station

freezingfrigidfreezingJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNowNow58%58%30%30%overcastclearprecipitation: 0.1 inprecipitation: 0.1 in0.0 in0.0 inmuggy: 0%muggy: 0%drydrytourism score: 0.0tourism score: 0.0
McMurdo Station weather by month. Click on each chart for more information.

The warm season lasts for 2.5 months, from November 21 to February 7, with an average daily high temperature above 24°F. The hottest month of the year in McMurdo Station is January, with an average high of 31°F and low of 23°F.

The cold season lasts for 5.3 months, from April 17 to September 27, with an average daily high temperature below -1°F. The coldest month of the year in McMurdo Station is August, with an average low of -18°F and high of -9°F.

Average High and Low Temperature in McMurdo Station

Average High and Low Temperature in McMurdo StationwarmwarmcoldJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec-40°F-40°F-20°F-20°F0°F0°F20°F20°F40°F40°F60°F60°F80°F80°F100°F100°FAug 10-9°FAug 10-9°FJan 533°FJan 533°F-18°F-18°F25°F25°FNov 2124°FNov 2124°FApr 17-1°FApr 17-1°FSep 27-1°FSep 27-1°F16°F16°F17°F17°F-10°F-10°F-12°F-12°FNowNow
The daily average high (red line) and low (blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted lines are the corresponding average perceived temperatures.
AverageJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High 31°F20°F6°F-0°F-2°F-4°F-8°F-9°F-4°F7°F21°F31°F
Temp. 28°F16°F1°F-5°F-7°F-8°F-13°F-13°F-11°F1°F17°F28°F
Low 23°F12°F-2°F-9°F-11°F-13°F-17°F-18°F-15°F-4°F12°F24°F

The figure below shows you a compact characterization of the entire year of hourly average temperatures. The horizontal axis is the day of the year, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the color is the average temperature for that hour and day.

Average Hourly Temperature in McMurdo Station

Average Hourly Temperature in McMurdo StationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMNowNowfrigidfreezingfreezing
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The average hourly temperature, color coded into bands. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

Barrow, Alaska, United States (10,421 miles away); Clyde River, Canada (11,346 miles); and Tiksi, Russia (10,455 miles) are the far-away foreign places with temperatures most similar to McMurdo Station (view comparison).

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In McMurdo Station, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year in McMurdo Station begins around October 17 and lasts for 6.0 months, ending around April 17.

The clearest month of the year in McMurdo Station is December, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 56% of the time.

The cloudier part of the year begins around April 17 and lasts for 6.0 months, ending around October 17.

The cloudiest month of the year in McMurdo Station is July, during which on average the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 68% of the time.

Cloud Cover Categories in McMurdo Station

Cloud Cover Categories in McMurdo StationclearerclearercloudierJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%Dec 1358%Dec 1358%Aug 430%Aug 430%Oct 1744%Oct 1744%Apr 1744%Apr 1744%NowNowclearmostly clearpartly cloudymostly cloudyovercast
0% clear 20% mostly clear 40% partly cloudy 60% mostly cloudy 80% overcast 100%
The percentage of time spent in each cloud cover band, categorized by the percentage of the sky covered by clouds.
FractionJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Cloudier 45%51%49%55%59%61%68%67%57%56%50%44%
Clearer 55%49%51%45%41%39%32%33%43%44%50%56%

McMurdo Station does not experience significant seasonal variation in the frequency of wet days (i.e., those with greater than 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation). The frequency ranges from 0% to 3%, with an average value of 1%.

Among wet days, we distinguish between those that experience rain alone, snow alone, or a mixture of the two. The month with the most days of snow alone in McMurdo Station is February, with an average of 0.8 days. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation throughout the year is snow alone, with a peak probability of 3% on February 9.

Daily Chance of Precipitation in McMurdo Station

Daily Chance of Precipitation in McMurdo StationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Feb 93%Feb 93%Aug 30%Aug 30%Nov 132%Nov 132%May 272%May 272%NowNow
The percentage of days in which various types of precipitation are observed, excluding trace quantities: rain alone, snow alone, and mixed (both rain and snow fell in the same day).
Days ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Mixed 0.1d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.1d
Snow 0.6d0.8d0.4d0.4d0.4d0.3d0.2d0.2d0.3d0.3d0.5d0.6d
Any 0.8d0.8d0.4d0.4d0.4d0.3d0.2d0.2d0.3d0.3d0.5d0.7d

Snowfall

The sliding 31-day quantity of snowfall in McMurdo Station does not vary significantly over the course of the year, staying within 0.5 inches of 0.7 inches throughout.

Average Monthly Snowfall in McMurdo Station

Average Monthly Snowfall in McMurdo StationsnowsnowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 in0 in1 in1 in2 in2 in3 in3 in4 in4 in5 in5 inDec 251.2 inDec 251.2 inAug 130.2 inAug 130.2 inFeb 221.1 inFeb 221.1 inApr 120.7 inApr 120.7 inSep 300.5 inSep 300.5 inNowNow
The average snowfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average rainfall.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Snowfall 1.1″1.0″0.8″0.7″0.7″0.5″0.3″0.3″0.4″0.4″0.6″1.2″

Due to its extreme latitude, McMurdo Station experiences polar day (also known as the midnight Sun) during the summer and polar night during the winter. These are periods of time in which the sun is continuously above or below the horizon for more than one day. The precise start and end dates of polar day and night vary from year to year and depend on the precise location and elevation of the observer, and the local topography.

In the summer in McMurdo Station during 2024, the Sun is continuously above the horizon for 4.0 months, rising at 2:31 AM on October 22, and not setting again until 1:13 AM on February 21.

In the winter in McMurdo Station during 2024, the Sun is continuously below the horizon for 3.8 months, setting at 12:59 PM on April 24, and not rising again until 12:04 PM on August 19.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in McMurdo Station

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in McMurdo Stationpolar daypolar daypolar nightJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 hr24 hr4 hr20 hr8 hr16 hr12 hr12 hr16 hr8 hr20 hr4 hr24 hr0 hr12 hr, 24 minSep 2312 hr, 24 minSep 2324 hr, 0 minDec 2124 hr, 0 minDec 2112 hr, 33 minMar 2012 hr, 33 minMar 200 minJun 210 minJun 21daydaynightNowNow
The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line). From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray), the color bands indicate: full daylight, twilight (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and full night.
Hours ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight 24.0h22.6h13.6h4.9h0.0h0.0h0.0h2.0h10.8h19.7h24.0h24.0h

Daylight saving time (DST) is observed in McMurdo Station during 2024, starting in the spring on September 29 and ending in the fall on April 7.

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in McMurdo Station

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in McMurdo StationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AM2 AMOct 222:31 AMOct 222:31 AM1:13 AMFeb 201:13 AMFeb 2012:59 PMApr 2412:59 PMApr 24Aug 1912:04 PMAug 1912:04 PMSep 29DSTSep 29DSTdaynightnightSolarMidnightSolarMidnightSolarNoonNowNow
The solar day over the course of the year 2024. From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray. The transitions to and from daylight saving time are indicated by the 'DST' labels.

The figure below presents a compact representation of the sun's elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon) and azimuth (its compass bearing) for every hour of every day in the reporting period. The horizontal axis is the day of the year and the vertical axis is the hour of the day. For a given day and hour of that day, the background color indicates the azimuth of the sun at that moment. The black isolines are contours of constant solar elevation.

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in McMurdo Station

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in McMurdo StationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AM1010203001010202030-1136NowNow
northeastsouthwest
Solar elevation and azimuth over the course of the year 2024. The black lines are lines of constant solar elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon, in degrees). The background color fills indicate the azimuth (the compass bearing) of the sun. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries of the cardinal compass points indicate the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

The figure below presents a compact representation of key lunar data for 2024. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the colored areas indicate when the moon is above the horizon. The vertical gray bars (new Moons) and blue bars (full Moons) indicate key Moon phases.

Moon Rise, Set & Phases in McMurdo Station

The time in which the moon is above the horizon (light blue area), with new moons (dark gray lines) and full moons (blue lines) indicated. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

We base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.

The perceived humidity level in McMurdo Station, as measured by the percentage of time in which the humidity comfort level is muggy, oppressive, or miserable, does not vary significantly over the course of the year, remaining a virtually constant 0% throughout.

Humidity Comfort Levels in McMurdo Station

Humidity Comfort Levels in McMurdo StationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Jul 20%Jul 20%NowNowdrydry
dry 55°F comfortable 60°F humid 65°F muggy 70°F oppressive 75°F miserable
The percentage of time spent at various humidity comfort levels, categorized by dew point.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Muggy days 0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d

This section discusses the wide-area hourly average wind vector (speed and direction) at 10 meters above the ground. The wind experienced at any given location is highly dependent on local topography and other factors, and instantaneous wind speed and direction vary more widely than hourly averages.

The average hourly wind speed in McMurdo Station experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The windier part of the year lasts for 7.4 months, from March 24 to November 5, with average wind speeds of more than 11.3 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year in McMurdo Station is June, with an average hourly wind speed of 14.4 miles per hour.

The calmer time of year lasts for 4.6 months, from November 5 to March 24. The calmest month of the year in McMurdo Station is January, with an average hourly wind speed of 7.8 miles per hour.

Average Wind Speed in McMurdo Station

Average Wind Speed in McMurdo StationwindyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 mph0 mph5 mph5 mph10 mph10 mph15 mph15 mph20 mph20 mph25 mph25 mphJun 115.0 mphJun 115.0 mphDec 297.6 mphDec 297.6 mphMar 2411.3 mphMar 2411.3 mphNov 511.3 mphNov 511.3 mphNowNow
The average of mean hourly wind speeds (dark gray line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Wind Speed (mph) 7.89.311.012.414.214.413.613.313.312.510.58.2

The predominant average hourly wind direction in McMurdo Station is from the south throughout the year.

Wind Direction in McMurdo Station

Wind Direction in McMurdo StationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%20%80%40%60%60%40%80%20%100%0%NowNowwestsouth
northeastsouthwest
The percentage of hours in which the mean wind direction is from each of the four cardinal wind directions, excluding hours in which the mean wind speed is less than 1.0 mph. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries are the percentage of hours spent in the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

McMurdo Station is located near a large body of water (e.g., ocean, sea, or large lake). This section reports on the wide-area average surface temperature of that water.

The average water temperature does not vary significantly over the course of the year, remaining within 1°F of 30°F throughout.

Average Water Temperature in McMurdo Station

Average Water Temperature in McMurdo StationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec28.5°F28.5°F29.0°F29.0°F29.5°F29.5°F30.0°F30.0°F30.5°F30.5°F31.0°F31.0°F31.5°F31.5°F32.0°F32.0°FJan 3130°FJan 3130°F29°FSep 1329°FSep 13Mar 1429°FMar 1429°FNov 3029°FNov 3029°FNowNow
The daily average water temperature (purple line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
WaterJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Temperature 30°F30°F29°F29°F29°F29°F29°F29°F29°F29°F29°F29°F

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in McMurdo Station throughout the year, we compute two travel scores.

The tourism score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 65°F and 80°F.

Tourism Score in McMurdo Station

Tourism Score in McMurdo StationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810100.00.0NowNow cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitation
The tourism score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 75°F and 90°F.

Beach/Pool Score in McMurdo Station

Beach/Pool Score in McMurdo StationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810100.00.0NowNow cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitation
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

Methodology

For each hour between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM of each day in the analysis period (1980 to 2016), independent scores are computed for perceived temperature, cloud cover, and total precipitation. Those scores are combined into a single hourly composite score, which is then aggregated into days, averaged over all the years in the analysis period, and smoothed.

Our cloud cover score is 10 for fully clear skies, falling linearly to 9 for mostly clear skies, and to 1 for fully overcast skies.

Our precipitation score, which is based on the three-hour precipitation centered on the hour in question, is 10 for no precipitation, falling linearly to 9 for trace precipitation, and to 0 for 0.04 inches of precipitation or more.

Our tourism temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 50°F, rising linearly to 9 for 65°F, to 10 for 75°F, falling linearly to 9 for 80°F, and to 1 for 90°F or hotter.

Our beach/pool temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 65°F, rising linearly to 9 for 75°F, to 10 for 82°F, falling linearly to 9 for 90°F, and to 1 for 100°F or hotter.

Definitions of the growing season vary throughout the world, but for the purposes of this report, we define it as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures (≥ 32°F) in the year (the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere, or from July 1 until June 30 in the Southern Hemisphere).

Temperatures in McMurdo Station are sufficiently cold year round that it is not entirely meaningful to discuss the growing season in these terms. We nevertheless include the chart below as an illustration of the distribution of temperatures experienced throughout the year.

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in McMurdo Station

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in McMurdo StationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%Feb 15-0%Feb 15-0%0%Jul 70%Jul 7Dec 273%Dec 273%NowNowfrigidfreezingvery cold
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The percentage of time spent in various temperature bands. The black line is the percentage chance that a given day is within the growing season.

Growing degree days are a measure of yearly heat accumulation used to predict plant and animal development, and defined as the integral of warmth above a base temperature, discarding any excess above a maximum temperature. In this report, we use a base of 50°F and a cap of 86°F.

Growing Degree Days in McMurdo Station

Growing Degree Days in McMurdo StationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0.0°F0.0°F0.1°F0.1°F0.2°F0.2°F0.3°F0.3°F0.4°F0.4°F0.5°F0.5°F0.6°F0.6°F0.7°F0.7°F0.8°F0.8°F0.9°F0.9°F1.0°F1.0°FJun 300°FJun 300°FNowNow
The average growing degree days accumulated over the course of the year, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

This section discusses the total daily incident shortwave solar energy reaching the surface of the ground over a wide area, taking full account of seasonal variations in the length of the day, the elevation of the Sun above the horizon, and absorption by clouds and other atmospheric constituents. Shortwave radiation includes visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

The average daily incident shortwave solar energy experiences extreme seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The brighter period of the year lasts for 2.2 months, from November 17 to January 23, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter above 6.8 kWh. The brightest month of the year in McMurdo Station is December, with an average of 8.3 kWh.

The darker period of the year lasts for 6.5 months, from March 13 to September 29, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter below 1.7 kWh. The darkest month of the year in McMurdo Station is June, with an average of 0.0 kWh.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in McMurdo Station

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in McMurdo StationbrightdarkJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 kWh0 kWh1 kWh1 kWh2 kWh2 kWh3 kWh3 kWh4 kWh4 kWh5 kWh5 kWh6 kWh6 kWh7 kWh7 kWh8 kWh8 kWh9 kWh9 kWh10 kWh10 kWh11 kWh11 kWhDec 188.5 kWhDec 188.5 kWhMay 100.0 kWhMay 100.0 kWhNov 176.8 kWhNov 176.8 kWhJan 236.8 kWhJan 236.8 kWhMar 131.7 kWhMar 131.7 kWhSep 291.7 kWhSep 291.7 kWhNowNow
The average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground per square meter (orange line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Solar Energy (kWh) 7.34.21.50.20.00.00.00.00.93.36.68.3

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of McMurdo Station are -77.846 deg latitude, 166.676 deg longitude, and 446 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of McMurdo Station contains very significant variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 965 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 214 feet. Within 10 miles also contains very significant variations in elevation (1,342 feet). Within 50 miles contains very significant variations in elevation (12,244 feet).

The area within 2 miles of McMurdo Station is covered by artificial surfaces (0%), within 10 miles by artificial surfaces (0%), and within 50 miles by artificial surfaces (0%).

This report illustrates the typical weather in McMurdo Station, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.

Temperature and Dew Point

There is only a single weather station, Williams Field, in our network suitable to be used as a proxy for the historical temperature and dew point records of McMurdo Station.

At a distance of 4 kilometers from McMurdo Station, closer than our threshold of 150 kilometers, this station is deemed sufficiently nearby to be relied upon as our primary source for temperature and dew point records.

The station records are corrected for the elevation difference between the station and McMurdo Station according to the International Standard Atmosphere , and by the relative change present in the MERRA-2 satellite-era reanalysis between the two locations.

Please note that the station records themselves may additionally have been back-filled using other nearby stations or the MERRA-2 reanalysis.

Other Data

All data relating to the Sun's position (e.g., sunrise and sunset) are computed using astronomical formulas from the book, Astronomical Algorithms 2nd Edition , by Jean Meeus.

All other weather data, including cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and solar flux, come from NASA's MERRA-2 Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis . This reanalysis combines a variety of wide-area measurements in a state-of-the-art global meteorological model to reconstruct the hourly history of weather throughout the world on a 50-kilometer grid.

Land Use data comes from the Global Land Cover SHARE database , published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Elevation data comes from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) , published by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Names, locations, and time zones of places and some airports come from the GeoNames Geographical Database .

Time zones for airports and weather stations are provided by AskGeo.com .

Maps are © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Disclaimer

The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data is prone to errors, outages, and other defects. We assume no responsibility for any decisions made on the basis of the content presented on this site.

We draw particular cautious attention to our reliance on the MERRA-2 model-based reconstructions for a number of important data series. While having the tremendous advantages of temporal and spatial completeness, these reconstructions: (1) are based on computer models that may have model-based errors, (2) are coarsely sampled on a 50 km grid and are therefore unable to reconstruct the local variations of many microclimates, and (3) have particular difficulty with the weather in some coastal areas, especially small islands.

We further caution that our travel scores are only as good as the data that underpin them, that weather conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable, and that the definition of the scores reflects a particular set of preferences that may not agree with those of any particular reader.

Please review our full terms contained on our Terms of Service page.