Coffs Harbour weather: When is the best time to visit Coffs Harbour?

The best time to visit the Coffs Coast is in the spring when the Coffs Harbour weather is reasonably warm and dry. Aim for September or October if possible.

If you’re going to undertake the 533km drive from Sydney to Coffs Harbour, you probably want to make sure the weather is decent when you get to the fifth largest city in NSW. And some months of the year are better for spending time at Korora, Sapphire Beach, Emerald Beach and Arrawarra on the Coffs Coast than others.

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Sapphire Beach north of Coffs Harbour, New South Wales — The Sapphire Beach Holiday Park is just behind gorgeous Sapphire Beach on the NSW coast. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

Coffs Harbour weather stats

To find the best time to visit Coffs Harbour, it’s helpful to look at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s Coffs Harbour weather stats.

The Coffs Harbour weather doesn’t get especially cold, although you might want to bring a cardigan in the winter months. The coldest month on the Coffs Coast is July, when the mean maximum daily temperature dips to 18.8°C. There’s a sizable difference between maximums and minimums here, though, and nights can be chillier. The mean minimum daily temperature is just 7.6°C.

6 fab Coffs Harbour experiences to book in advance

Glide through nature – on a Boambee Creek kayaking tour guided by a marine scientist.
Jump out of a plane – with tandem skydives that land on the beach.
Go kayaking and wildlife-spotting – on a coastal adventure.
Head into the hinterland – on a rainforest and waterfalls day tour.
Test your nerve and agility – at the Treetops Coffs Harbour adventure course.
See migrating humpbacks up close – on a whale-watching cruise.

Coffs Harbour’s hottest months are during the southern hemisphere summer, although the coastal location prevents it getting truly, ferociously hot. January is the hottest month in Coffs Harbour, with a mean maximum daily temperature of 27°C, December, February and March are all very close.

Coffs Harbour weather: Rainfall

Rainfall can be a more important factor in the Coffs Harbour weather than temperature, however. When it rains here, it tends to honk it down. And the summer months have more rainy days.

The highest rainfall tends to be in March, with an average of 234.6mm. September is the driest month, averaging 59.9mm. July and August have relatively low rainfall, too.

Best time to visit the Coffs Coast

So, when is the best time to visit the Coffs Coast? When has that sweet spot of warm temperatures and low rainfall. It’s tempting to say September, but the mean daily maximum of 22°C might be a smidge too low for proper beach time.

Therefore October, with a mean daily maximum of 23.7°C and monthly rainfall of 96.3mm is probably about right.

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