Analysis of 10-year weather data for the dates December 25 to January 2 by Niwa climate scientist Gregor Macara show it had rained more days throughout the region this holiday period than on average for the decade.
Oamaru had been the worst affected, with six days where it rained compared with an average of 2.5, while in Balclutha it rained close to its average, 3.6 days compared with four on average.
The region's holiday hot spots of Alexandra, Queenstown and Wanaka were also wetter, with four days compared with an average of 2.3, five days compared with 2.9 and three days compared with 2.5, respectively.
Total rainfall was mixed, with holiday spots receiving more than their average and Oamaru getting 9mm more than its average of 23mm. Alexandra got 3.6mm more than the average 19.9mm, Wanaka 10.5mm more than its 27.1mm average and Queenstown 4.5mm more than its 32.3mm.
Dunedin got 2.2mm less than its average of 35.8mm and Balclutha got 14.1mm less than its 39.5mm.
Temperatures were lower than the 10-year average. Alexandra fell by 2.7degC this holiday period compared with its average of 23.9degC.
Dunedin was colder, dropping 1.8degC on its average of 18.7degC, followed by Wanaka, which dropped 1.6degC from its 22.3degC average. Queenstown was the least affected by the cooler weather, dropping only 0.9degC from the average of 20.9degC.
Those figures were for a single week, but Niwa's latest climate summary also showed a mostly wet and cloudy month for Otago.
Dunedin recorded 110mm of rain, 137% of normal, while Ranfurly recorded its third-highest December rainfall of 135mm, boosted by its fourth highest one-day extreme rainfall of 43mm on the 21st.
Sunshine hours for the month were below normal in parts of Otago, with Queenstown recording just 75% of its normal sunshine hours (168), its third lowest.
Dunedin recorded 160 hours, 95% of normal, making it the cloudiest of the country's six main centres, 40 hours behind Christchurch.
The cloudier days came with an average mean temperature of 13.8degC, well below the national average of 16.6degC.
Otago holiday weather 10-year standouts.-
Hottest and driest: Wanaka 2011-12, mean maximum 26degC (no rain).
Coldest: Balclutha 2006-07, mean maximum 14.7degC.
Wettest: Queenstown 2010-11, 101.8mm rain.
December 2013 standouts.-
Highest national temperature: 34.2degC, Clyde, December 5.
Lowest national temperature: -1.2degC, Middlemarch, December 1.
Source: Niwa
