February brings 25°C daytime highs, 48mm of precipitation across about 7 wet days and 13.2 hours of daylight — best for reliable sunshine. The strongest run of the year is January to March. October is the quietest month: low-key and inexpensive, and still good for hiking, cycling and spring greenery.
Long-run climate normals for Knysna. Month ratings compare months within Knysna only — they are not a ranking of Knysna against other destinations, and they are not a forecast for a specific year.
Last updated: · Live forecast data refreshes hourly.
| Best month | February — Reliable sunshine |
| Best 3-month window | January–March |
| Quietest month | October — fewest visitors |
| Driest month | June — 28mm |
| Wettest month | November — 72mm |
| Warmest / coolest | January 25°C / August 18°C |
| Seasonality | Fairly even across the year |
| Annual rainfall | 798mm over roughly 82 rain days |
October gets roughly 29% more precipitation than February — 62mm against 48mm. That difference, more than temperature, is what changes how a day here feels.
Daytime highs only move 7°C across the whole year (18–25°C), so timing matters far less here than rainfall does.
December gives you 14.3 hours of daylight against just 9.7 in June — a 5-hour difference in how much you can actually fit into a day.
June is the driest month at 28mm across roughly 4 wet days, while November peaks at 72mm.
March is almost as good as February, but usually quieter and cheaper. If your dates are flexible, it is the easier trip.
Knysna stays fairly consistent all year, so there is no month you need to avoid. What you plan to do matters more than when you go.
Ratings compare months within Knysna, not against destinations worldwide: five stars means the best time to be here, not that Knysna beats anywhere else. Tags describe what the conditions actually suit.
| Month | Rating | High / Low | Precipitation | Wet days | Sun | Daylight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | ★★★☆☆ | 25°C / 16°C | 52mm | 7 | 7h | 14h | Quiet and local |
| February | ★★★★☆ | 25°C / 16°C | 48mm | 7 | 11h | 13.2h | Reliable sunshine |
| March | ★★★★☆ | 24°C / 15°C | 55mm | 8 | 11h | 12.2h | Hiking · Cycling · Reliable sunshine |
| April | ★★★☆☆ | 22°C / 13°C | 58mm | 8 | 10h | 11.1h | Hiking · Cycling · Reliable sunshine |
| May | ★★☆☆☆ | 21°C / 11°C | 42mm | 6 | 6h | 10.2h | Hiking · Cycling · Low-angle light |
| June | ★★☆☆☆ | 19°C / 9°C | 28mm | 4 | 5h | 9.7h | Hiking · Cycling · Low-angle light |
| July | ★★☆☆☆ | 18°C / 8°C | 28mm | 4 | 5h | 10h | Hiking · Cycling · Low-angle light |
| August | ★★☆☆☆ | 18°C / 8°C | 38mm | 5 | 3h | 10.8h | Hiking · Cycling · Low-angle light |
| September | ★★☆☆☆ | 19°C / 9°C | 42mm | 6 | 3h | 11.8h | Hiking · Cycling · Spring greenery |
| October | ★★☆☆☆ | 21°C / 11°C | 62mm | 9 | 4h | 12.9h | Hiking · Cycling · Spring greenery |
| November | ★★☆☆☆ | 22°C / 13°C | 72mm | 10 | 4h | 13.8h | Hiking · Cycling · Quiet and local |
| December | ★★★☆☆ | 24°C / 15°C | 68mm | 9 | 7h | 14.3h | Hiking · Cycling |
| You are planning | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sun & beach days | February | 11h daily sunshine, 25°C highs and only 7 rain days. |
| City walking & sightseeing | June | 19°C highs with 9.7h of daylight — long days without heat fatigue. |
| Photography & light | February | 11h of sun and 13.2h daylight give the widest window for golden-hour work. |
| Value & fewer crowds | April | Scores 76/100 — close to peak conditions but outside the busiest window. |
| Cooler-weather travel | July | 18°C highs and 8°C nights suit anyone who dislikes heat. |
Each month in Knysna is described from long-run climate normals and then rated relative to the other eleven months in the same city. A five-star January in a cold destination means January is one of the best times to be there — not that it beats a Mediterranean summer.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Described | Average daytime high and overnight low for the month, shown as measured rather than judged. |
| Precipitation | Described | Monthly millimetres and wet-day count, labelled as snow or rain/snow where temperatures make that the likely phase. |
| Sunshine & daylight | Described | Average daily sunshine hours and astronomical daylight length at mid-month, from the city’s latitude. |
| “Best for” tags | Derived | Applied only when the conditions genuinely support the activity — snow depth-friendly cold for skiing, 13–24°C and low rain risk for hiking, dark evenings at high latitude for aurora. A month with few strong use cases gets fewer tags rather than padded ones. |
| Star rating | Relative | Ranks the month against the other eleven months in the same city. Never a comparison between cities. |
Figures are long-run climate averages, not a forecast for a specific year. Where a month lacks sourced rainfall or humidity, the value is modelled from temperature range and rain frequency.
February is the best all-round month in Knysna: 25°C highs, 48mm of precipitation and 13.2 hours of daylight, which suits reliable sunshine. The strongest three-month window is January to March.
October — 21°C highs, 62mm of precipitation over roughly 9 days and 12.9 hours of daylight. It is the cheapest and least crowded time to go, and it still works for hiking, cycling and spring greenery.
June is the driest month at 28mm over about 4 rain days, against 72mm in November. Across the year Knysna records around 798mm.
Yes — conditions in Knysna stay fairly even all year, so there is no month you need to avoid. What you plan to do matters more than when you go.
Daylight ranges from 9.7 hours in June to 14.3 hours in December, calculated from the city's latitude.