Climate

CLIMATE

The Cederberg has a great climate - hot sunny days throughout summer and mild, often sunny days in winter.

Spring – Early August to September
As with most spring weather worldwide, our spring is variable with some beautiful sunny and warm days and some cooler weather. There is a possibility of rain until the end of September. The evenings are generally still cool to cold.

Summer – November to March
Summer generally starts around early November and is characterized by hot to very hot dry sunny weather. Rain is highly unlikely. Our summers are much hotter than the rest of the Western Cape so if you like to be active, we recommend starting your days early and then enjoying a restful afternoon siesta or swim during the heat of the day. The evenings are generally warm and most meals are taken outside.

Autumn – April to mid May
Autumn is a great time to visit the Cederberg. The weather remains warm through April and swimming is still a pleasure. Gradually the nights become cooler and the days are cool enough to enjoy more strenuous outdoor activities such as hiking.

Winter – mid May to early August
The winter climate of the Cederberg is a pleasure. We are in the winter rainfall region of South Africa, but the Oliphants River valley (Clanwilliam and Citrusdal) get far less rain than the rest of the Western Cape with an annual rainfall of 180mm (classified semi-desert). Thus our winter days are often dry, sunny and mild to warm. However our nights are cold once the sun sets. The winter is an ideal time for rock-climbing, bouldering and walking. 

The high Cederberg mountains get much more rain (over 1000mm in parts) and can have snow on the peaks. If heading to the central Cederberg in winter check ahead whether the low water bridge from the N7 is open as it closes after heavy rain).

WHAT TO PACK

This depends on the season and what activities you are planning but broadly speaking:

• Comfortable shoes or sandals in which you can walk on uneven ground and which you don’t feel precious about if they get a little dirty
• Hat
• Long trousers if planning to walk
• Small torch
• Insect repellent (between October and April)
• Swimming towel (November to March)
• Small cooler bag is useful to keep drinks/water cold (November to March)

Spring 
Variety of clothing as the weather can change. It can be very warm during the day (so short-sleeves are needed) but then cold at night. You may still have some rain so a light rain jacket is advised.

Summer 
It can be very hot so please bring hat, sunblock, swimming costume – even if you don’t plan to swim – you may well change your mind when you get here!

Autumn 
As with spring, our autumn starts any time from late March to mid April so bring a variety of clothing. Evenings are usually not cold yet but we might get some early rain showers so a rainjacket is advised.

Winter 
It is usually very cold when the sun sets in the Cederberg so please bring a warm jacket and sweater. If you feel the cold, bring gloves and a scarf as well. Daytime temperatures range from cool to quite warm so bring a short sleeved top or two.

 

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