Katoomba sits at 1040 metres above sea level, and that height shapes the year more than any festival does. Temperatures run on average 7 degrees lower than Sydney, with plenty of misty days. Katoomba events and seasonal highlights are best read with that in mind.
The calendar here is short but distinctive: a winter solstice festival, a Christmas-in-winter tradition and a biennial film festival. Below we set out what each season is like, using the 1991-2020 climate averages for the Blue Mountains area about 1 km from town, and what happens when.
Katoomba events: what the town hosts
Three named events belong to Katoomba and the wider mountains.
Winter Magic
The town hosts the Winter Solstice festival, Winter Magic, which features local talent, art and handicraft. It was established in 1994 to give the Blue Mountains-wide Yulefest a local focus.
Yulefest
Yulefest is a long-running tourism initiative promoting Northern Hemisphere-style Christmas celebrations during the Australian winter months, June to August. If you fancy a roast-dinner Christmas with a log fire and a frosty morning outside, this is the idea behind it. We reckon it suits the climate rather well, since July here has a typical maximum of 9.8 degrees.
Vertical Film Festival
Since 2014, Katoomba has hosted the biennial Vertical Film Festival. Because it runs every second year, check that it is on in the year you plan to visit.
Beyond these, the town has a live entertainment scene, with a wide range of music at various venues, and theatre. The local cinema is The Edge, on the Great Western Highway. For more ideas on what to see, our Katoomba attractions page is the place to start.
Katoomba weather by month
Katoomba has an oceanic climate with mild summers and cool to cold winters. The figures below are monthly averages.
| Month | Max (C) | Min (C) | Rain (mm) | Rain days | Sunny days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23.5 | 12.6 | 123.2 | 15.0 | 27.2 |
| February | 22.1 | 12.4 | 145.2 | 15.3 | 24.4 |
| March | 19.7 | 10.5 | 106.9 | 15.0 | 27.0 |
| April | 16.7 | 7.4 | 56.4 | 9.0 | 26.6 |
| May | 13.1 | 4.4 | 48.0 | 6.7 | 26.8 |
| June | 10.2 | 2.4 | 63.6 | 7.7 | 24.5 |
| July | 9.8 | 1.3 | 36.8 | 6.3 | 27.2 |
| August | 11.3 | 1.6 | 45.9 | 6.7 | 28.3 |
| September | 14.9 | 4.0 | 53.0 | 8.3 | 27.8 |
| October | 17.9 | 6.4 | 74.5 | 10.4 | 27.6 |
| November | 20.0 | 8.7 | 104.2 | 13.5 | 26.4 |
| December | 21.9 | 10.8 | 118.7 | 13.3 | 27.7 |
Katoomba has 79.8 days of clear skies a year.
Katoomba through the four seasons
Summer: December to February
Summer daytime temperatures are usually in the low 20s, with a few rare days stretching into the 30s, and nights in the low teens. January averages 23.5 degrees at the top end and 12.6 at the bottom.
It is also the wettest stretch. February brings 145.2 mm over about 15 rain days, so pack a light jacket and be ready to change plans. If rain closes in, the Katoomba activities page has other things to do.
Autumn: March to May
March still feels like summer, with a maximum of 19.7 degrees, but rainfall drops sharply by April (56.4 mm) and May (48.0 mm). Mornings turn cooler, with May minimums around 4.4 degrees. Rain days fall from 15.0 in March to 6.7 in May, which makes late autumn a fairly settled time for walking.
Winter: June to August
Winter is when Katoomba is most itself. The typical maximum is about 10 degrees, while minimums sit around 0 degrees on clear nights and 3 to 4 degrees on cloudy ones. July is the coldest month on the table, at 9.8 maximum and 1.3 minimum, and also one of the driest at 36.8 mm. August has the most sunny days of the year, at 28.3.
This is also the season of Winter Magic and Yulefest, so the festival side of the town lines up with the coldest weather.
The Blue Mountains has a reputation for snow, but only around five snowy days a year fall in the upper mountains, and settled snowfalls usually number two or three a year. Snow below Lawson is extremely rare. Frost is far more common, with white blankets on the ground in early morning and thick ice on car windscreens in the evening.
Winters here are less snowy and rainy than those of Orange and Oberon to the west, because Katoomba mostly lies on the leeward, eastern side of the ranges. Big falls do happen. Snowdrifts were over 1.8 metres deep in parts of the mountains on 5 July 1900, and on 17 July 2015 up to 20 cm fell on Katoomba and other upper mountains towns, the heaviest snowfall in many years.
Spring: September to November
Temperatures climb steadily, from a September maximum of 14.9 degrees to 20.0 in November. Rain rises too, from 53.0 mm to 104.2 mm, and rain days go from 8.3 to 13.5. September and October both manage about 27 to 28 sunny days, so spring suits outdoor plans if you can handle some variable weather.
Planning a trip around the seasons
Cooler months suit active days in the bush. For a guided look at the valleys and lookouts, there is the Blue Mountains Full Day Guided Tour, an eight-hour outing from AUD 330. Climbers can try the Small-Group Full-Day Rock Climbing Adventure (8 hours, from AUD 250), or the two-day weekend version from AUD 550.
If you are bringing a van, Katoomba Falls offers powered sites and cabins. Contact the park for current rates and availability, particularly around winter festival time. Katoomba is 102 km by road west of the Sydney CBD, and the town has a railway station on the Great Western Railway. For wider planning, see the state tourism site Visit NSW, and background on the town is on Wikipedia.
Frequently asked questions
Does it snow in Katoomba?
Sometimes. There are usually two or three settled snowfalls a year, and around five snowy days in the upper mountains. Frost is much more common.
When is Winter Magic held?
It is the town's Winter Solstice festival, part of the Yulefest season, which runs across the winter months of June to August.
What is the coldest month in Katoomba?
July, with an average maximum of 9.8 degrees and an average minimum of 1.3 degrees.
