Road Travel › Drive weather

Adelaide to Alice Springs drive weather

1,530 km (951 miles), about 15 hours of driving via A87. The high point is A87 southwest of Amoonguna at 630 m (2,068 ft), about 14 h 9 min in.

Distance
1,530 km
Drive time
~15 hours
High point
630 m
States
SA · NT

Next 7 departures

Leaving Adelaide at 7 AM each day · Updated · Forecast: MET Norway

  1. SunOct 4

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 12–24°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Adelaide7 AM ACDTCloudy12°C
    Snowtown8:30 AM ACDTCloudy13°C
    Port Augusta10:15 AM ACDTPartly sunny18°C
    Pimba11:45 AM ACDTLight rain15°C
    Glendambo1 PM ACDTCloudy17°C
    Coober Pedy3:15 PM ACDTHeavy rain15°C
    Marla5:30 PM ACDTMostly sunny24°C
    South Australia–Northern Territory line7 PM ACDTClear21°C
    A87 southwest of Amoonguna8:15 PM ACSTMostly clear22°C
    Alice Springs8:30 PM ACSTMostly clear22°C
  2. MonOct 5

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 11–28°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Adelaide7 AM ACDTFog11°C
    Snowtown8:30 AM ACDTCloudy12°C
    Port Augusta10:15 AM ACDTCloudy18°C
    Pimba11:45 AM ACDTPartly sunny20°C
    Glendambo1 PM ACDTPartly sunny22°C
    Coober Pedy3:15 PM ACDTCloudy23°C
    Marla5:30 PM ACDTSunny28°C
    South Australia–Northern Territory line7 PM ACDTMostly clear24°C
    A87 southwest of Amoonguna8:15 PM ACSTClear27°C
    Alice Springs8:30 PM ACSTClear25°C
  3. TueOct 6

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 13–26°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Adelaide7 AM ACDTLight rain showers13°C
    Snowtown8:30 AM ACDTSunny15°C
    Port Augusta10:15 AM ACDTSunny19°C
    Pimba11:45 AM ACDTSunny21°C
    Glendambo1 PM ACDTSunny23°C
    Coober Pedy3:15 PM ACDTSunny24°C
    Marla5:30 PM ACDTMostly sunny26°C
    South Australia–Northern Territory line7 PM ACDTPartly cloudy22°C
    A87 southwest of Amoonguna8:15 PM ACSTClear26°C
    Alice Springs8:30 PM ACSTMostly clear25°C
  4. WedOct 7

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 11–28°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Adelaide7 AM ACDTSunny11°C
    Snowtown8:30 AM ACDTSunny14°C
    Port Augusta10:15 AM ACDTSunny19°C
    Pimba11:45 AM ACDTSunny22°C
    Glendambo1 PM ACDTSunny24°C
    Coober Pedy3:15 PM ACDTMostly sunny26°C
    Marla5:30 PM ACDTCloudy28°C
    South Australia–Northern Territory line7 PM ACDTClear25°C
    A87 southwest of Amoonguna8:15 PM ACSTClear27°C
    Alice Springs8:30 PM ACSTClear26°C
  5. ThuOct 8

    CautionNear 33°C near Marla around 5:30 PM ACDT.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Adelaide7 AM ACDTPartly sunny16°C
    Snowtown8:30 AM ACDTSunny18°C
    Port Augusta10:15 AM ACDTSunny23°C
    Pimba11:45 AM ACDTSunny26°C
    Glendambo1 PM ACDTSunny28°C
    Coober Pedy3:15 PM ACDTSunny31°C
    Marla5:30 PM ACDTSunny33°C
    South Australia–Northern Territory line7 PM ACDTClear31°C
    A87 southwest of Amoonguna8:15 PM ACSTMostly clear31°C
    Alice Springs8:30 PM ACSTMostly clear29°C
  6. FriOct 9

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 19–31°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Adelaide7 AM ACDTPartly sunny19°C
    Snowtown8:30 AM ACDTMostly sunny21°C
    Port Augusta10:15 AM ACDTSunny24°C
    Pimba11:45 AM ACDTHeavy rain25°C
    Glendambo1 PM ACDTRain26°C
    Coober Pedy3:15 PM ACDTRain showers28°C
    Marla5:30 PM ACDTLight rain showers31°C
    South Australia–Northern Territory line7 PM ACDTRain showers27°C
    A87 southwest of Amoonguna8:15 PM ACSTRain27°C
    Alice Springs8:30 PM ACSTRain26°C
  7. SatOct 10

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 14–28°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Adelaide7 AM ACDTRain showers14°C
    Snowtown8:30 AM ACDTSunny15°C
    Port Augusta10:15 AM ACDTSunny19°C
    Pimba11:45 AM ACDTSunny19°C
    Glendambo1 PM ACDTSunny20°C
    Coober Pedy3:15 PM ACDTSunny25°C
    Marla5:30 PM ACDTSunny28°C
    South Australia–Northern Territory line7 PM ACDTClear26°C
    A87 southwest of Amoonguna8:15 PM ACSTRain showers24°C
    Alice Springs8:30 PM ACSTRain showers23°C

The worst conditions expected at any checkpoint, timed to when you would reach it driving without stops. Levels use Road Travel’s driving-risk scale.

The route, stop by stop

Checkpoints in order, with driving time from Adelaide (no stops) and elevation. The forecast above is timed to these.

A87 southwest of Amoonguna · 630 m 0 km 1,531 km
Elevation along the route (Terrain Tiles, sampled every 8 km).
  1. Adelaide, SAStart 45 melevation
  2. Snowtown, SAKm 148 · 1 h 34 min 105 melevation
  3. Port Augusta, SAKm 307 · 3 h 8 min 9 melevation
  4. Pimba, SAKm 481 · 4 h 48 min 191 melevation
  5. Glendambo, SAKm 594 · 5 h 53 min 147 melevation
  6. Coober Pedy, SAKm 847 · 8 h 18 min 226 melevation
  7. Marla, SAKm 1,078 · 10 h 32 min 324 melevation
  8. South Australia–Northern Territory lineState line · Km 1,236 · 12 h 3 min 529 melevation
  9. A87 southwest of Amoonguna, NTKm 1,493 · 14 h 9 min 630 melevation
  10. Alice Springs, NTKm 1,530 · 14 h 34 min 584 melevation

Typical weather by month

Average daily highs and lows, and days with 2.5 cm (an inch) or more of snow, at Adelaide, A87 southwest of Amoonguna and Alice Springs.

MonthAdelaide
48 m
A87 southwest of Amoonguna
Alice Springs Airport station · 546 m
Alice Springs
Alice Springs Airport station · 546 m
High / low °CHigh / low °CHigh / low °C
Jan30° / 18°37° / 22°37° / 22°
Feb30° / 18°36° / 21°36° / 21°
Mar27° / 15°33° / 18°33° / 18°
Apr23° / 13°29° / 13°29° / 13°
May19° / 10°24° / 8°24° / 8°
Jun16° / 8°20° / 5°20° / 5°
Jul16° / 8°21° / 4°21° / 4°
Aug17° / 8°24° / 6°24° / 6°
Sep19° / 10°29° / 11°29° / 11°
Oct22° / 12°32° / 15°32° / 15°
Nov25° / 14°34° / 18°34° / 18°
Dec28° / 16°36° / 21°36° / 21°

1991–2020 averages computed from NOAA NCEI daily station records (GHCN-Daily): ADELAIDE KENT TOWN, AS (ASN00023090, 48 m); ALICE SPRINGS AIRPORT, AS (ASN00015590, 546 m); ALICE SPRINGS AIRPORT, AS (ASN00015590, 546 m). Snow days are days with at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) of new snow. “—” means the station does not publish that normal.

Road conditions

Closures and chain rules change by the hour, so we link to the official reports for South Australia and Northern Territory rather than repeat them.

Check the official forecast from Bureau of Meteorology and each road report before you leave.

Get alerts timed to where you’ll be when you get there

Road Travel plans the drive from Adelaide to Alice Springs with the forecast at every stretch for the hour you’ll reach it, then warns you about weather ahead while you drive.

Questions about this drive

How long is the drive from Adelaide to Alice Springs?

1,530 km (951 miles), about 15 hours of driving without stops, by way of A87. Fuel, food and rest stops add to that.

What is the highest point on the drive?

A87 southwest of Amoonguna, at 630 m (2,068 ft). It comes at km 1,493, about 14 h 9 min of driving after you leave Adelaide.

How cold is A87 southwest of Amoonguna in July?

The nearest long-term NOAA station, Alice Springs Airport (546 m), averages a high of 21°C and a low of 4°C in July (1991–2020 averages).

How cold is Alice Springs in July?

The nearest long-term NOAA station, Alice Springs Airport (546 m), averages a high of 21°C and a low of 4°C in July (1991–2020 averages).