When Hobart locals want to consider the day's weather they look to Mount Wellington. The Mountain is considered an effective gauge for professional and amateur weather observers.
In 1895 the first meteorological observatories were established at the Springs and on the summit by Clement Lindley Wragge, also known in unfavourable weather as 'Inclement Wragge'. These weather stations were the first of their kind in the Southern Hemisphere. With Wragge's revolutionary technique the observatories, at different altitudes, played a vital role in weather forecasting. Current data is collected by the Bureau of Meteorology at the Pinnacle using an automatic weather station.
Local factors and micro climates influence weather conditions. On average, temperatures at the Pinnacle are 10.5 degrees less than in Hobart, with a mean annual maximum temperature of 7.3°C and a mean annual minimum of 1.1°C. Visitors must be prepared for all seasons and dress accordingly.
The average annual precipitation in Wellington Park ranges from about 750 mm along the northern and southern foothills to about 1500 mm on the higher peaks. Snowfalls can occur in the Park in any season but changeable weather and the proximity to the sea, make persistent snow cover a rarity. Pinnacle Road however, may be temporarily closed at any time of year due to icy conditions or snow.
Winds are predominantly from the west and north-west throughout the year. Tasmania's strongest recorded wind gusts, reaching 94kt (174km/hr), have been recorded at the summit of Mount Wellington. Strong, dry, north-westerly winds can cause extreme fire weather conditions as experienced during the fires of 1967.
Since European settlement Wellington Park has experienced a number of extreme weather events. In 1872, after torrential rain, a landslip on the north west side of Mount Arthur created a temporary dam at the upper reaches of Humphreys Rivulet. The people of Glenorchy heard an explosive roar when the dam broke. The surge of water and debris destroyed bridges, houses, factories and crops, and killed one man.
Floods in 1960 washed away the Fern Tree Bower, flooded the weir and inundated the lower parts of Hobart.