Clare Valley Tours
Clare Valley Tours › Weather & FestivalsUpdated 2026-09-17

Clare Valley Weather

Hours, prices and access verified by the Clare Valley Tours team — last checked 2026-09-17.

The weather decides how your day in the valley feels. Summer heat makes the Riesling Trail hard work, and winter rain moves you indoors. Planning wine tours Clare Valley? Pick your month first, then the day.

What the weather does to a Clare Valley day

Bare winter vines and a low range of hills under a pink dusk sky
Bare winter vines and a low range of hills under a pink dusk sky

You spend a Clare Valley day outdoors between cellar doors, on the trail or on a walk. In January the average high at Clare is 30.5 °C, and rain falls on about three days. In July the high is 13.0 °C, with rain on about ten days. Both work, but they call for different days.

Heat hits bikes and walkers hardest, and the park service tells you to avoid walking in the hottest part of the day. Rain matters most on the same trails. A guided day in an air-conditioned vehicle copes with both. The figures below are the Bureau of Meteorology's averages for Clare High School, 1994 to 2026.

The valley is higher than most of South Australia's wine country, so nights stay cool even in summer. Pack a layer whatever the month.

The Clare Valley month by month

Clare Valley weather in January

Clare averages a high of 30.5 °C and a low of 15 °C. About 20.7 mm of rain falls, on around 3 days. It is the hottest month. Ride early, carry water, and check the fire danger rating before a walk.

Clare Valley weather in February

Clare averages a high of 29.8 °C and a low of 14.8 °C. About 22.6 mm of rain falls, on around 2 days. It has the fewest rain days of the year. The afternoon is hot, so book a morning start.

Clare Valley weather in March

Clare averages a high of 26.5 °C and a low of 12.4 °C. About 21.3 mm of rain falls, on around 3 days. Autumn begins, and South Australia's tourism body names it a season for cycling and walking.

Clare Valley weather in April

Clare averages a high of 21.9 °C and a low of 9.1 °C. About 35.7 mm of rain falls, on around 4 days. Days cool into the low twenties. It suits a long ride on the Riesling Trail.

Clare Valley weather in May

Clare averages a high of 17.2 °C and a low of 6.4 °C. About 51.6 mm of rain falls, on around 7 days. Rain days nearly double. The Clare Valley Gourmet Festival fills a long weekend, and in 2027 it runs 14 to 17 May.

Clare Valley weather in June

Clare averages a high of 13.5 °C and a low of 4.8 °C. About 65.7 mm of rain falls, on around 10 days. Winter starts, and June brings more rain by volume than any other month. Pack a waterproof and a warm layer for the evenings.

Clare Valley weather in July

Clare averages a high of 13 °C and a low of 4.1 °C. About 64.8 mm of rain falls, on around 10 days. It is the coldest month and has the most rain days. Plan tastings and a long lunch rather than a long ride.

Clare Valley weather in August

Clare averages a high of 14.3 °C and a low of 4.5 °C. About 65 mm of rain falls, on around 10 days. Rain keeps falling, which feeds the seasonal waterfall in Spring Gully. Go after a wet spell to see it run.

Clare Valley weather in September

Clare averages a high of 17.5 °C and a low of 6 °C. About 55.9 mm of rain falls, on around 8 days. Spring brings budburst and the Festival of the Lamb, held each September at the equinox.

Clare Valley weather in October

Clare averages a high of 21.3 °C and a low of 8 °C. About 45.2 mm of rain falls, on around 6 days. Rain eases. Canola turns the fields along the Rattler Trail yellow in spring.

Clare Valley weather in November

Clare averages a high of 24.9 °C and a low of 10.7 °C. About 39.8 mm of rain falls, on around 5 days. Days warm to the mid twenties. It is the last spring month before the summer heat.

Clare Valley weather in December

Clare averages a high of 27.8 °C and a low of 12.6 °C. About 35.3 mm of rain falls, on around 4 days. Summer begins, and the afternoons heat up. The Tourism Centre closes on Christmas Day, so collect your maps before then.

The seasons, and which one you want

Australia's seasons run opposite to the northern hemisphere's. South Australia's tourism body recommends spring and autumn for cycling, walking and cellar door touring. The table averages the Clare figures for each season.

SeasonAverage highAverage lowRain daysWhat changes
Summer: December–February29.4 °C14.1 °C9Hot afternoons; ride and walk early
Autumn: March–May21.9 °C9.3 °C14Cycling and walking season; the Gourmet Festival in May
Winter: June–August13.6 °C4.5 °C30Cool and wet; indoor tastings and long lunches
Spring: September–November21.2 °C8.2 °C19Cycling and walking season; wildflowers; the Festival of the Lamb

For a first visit with a bike, choose March, April or October. If you do not mind rain, winter suits a day of tastings and a long lunch. In summer, book a morning start.

Picked your month?

Compare the days by where they start, with tastings and lunch in each fare.

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Festivals through the year

The Clare Valley Gourmet Festival calls itself Australia's longest running wine and food festival. If you want to go, book your bed as soon as the dates are out. Clare Valley Tourism also lists the Skilly Valley Way in early October on its What's On calendar.

Fire danger days and closures

Hot, dry days bring fire danger ratings, and they can change your plans. Spring Gully Conservation Park closes on Catastrophic Fire Danger days and may close on Extreme days. The Clare Valley Wine, Food and Tourism Centre also closes on Catastrophic Fire Days.

On a high fire danger day: check the rating with the Country Fire Service, or call its Bushfire Information Hotline on 1800 362 361. Then swap the walk for tastings indoors, using Clare Valley wineries.

Best time of day

In summer, go early. At 3pm in January, Clare averages 28.7 °C, so ride or walk in the morning and save the tasting rooms for the afternoon. The valley days collect you at 10am and bring you back at about 4:30pm.

In winter, the light goes early and the evenings are cold. Plan your ride for the middle of the day. At Spring Gully, kangaroos and euros graze in the evenings, so walk late in the day if you want to see them.

Weather questions

What is the best time to visit the Clare Valley?
Spring and autumn. South Australia's tourism body names both as the seasons for cycling, walking and cellar door touring. March and October bring highs in the low to mid twenties at Clare.
How hot is the Clare Valley in summer?
January averages a high of 30.5 °C at Clare, and the wine association puts summer days at 30 to 35 °C. Nights still fall to around 15 °C.
What is the wettest month in the Clare Valley?
June has the most rain by volume, about 66 mm at Clare. July has the most rain days, around ten and a half.
When is the Clare Valley Gourmet Festival?
From 14 to 17 May 2027. It calls itself Australia's longest running wine and food festival, and its programme launches in February 2027.
When is the Festival of the Lamb?
Each September, at the spring equinox, when the vines break bud and the new season's lamb arrives. The 2026 festival was set for 23 to 27 September.
Does it snow in the Clare Valley?
Snow has been recorded, but it is rare. Winter days average about 14 °C and nights can drop to 1 to 3 °C.

Where these facts come from

Monthly figures are the Bureau of Meteorology's for Clare High School. Festival dates come from the organisers, read in 2026.

Tours to book once you have picked your month

Next: plan the drive on getting to the Clare Valley, choose a ride on things to do in the Clare Valley, or compare every day out on Clare Valley Tours.