Road Travel › Drive weather

Sydney to Melbourne drive weather

861 km (535 miles), about 8½ hours of driving via M31. The high point is Breadalbane at 759 m (2,491 ft), about 2 h 11 min in.

Distance
861 km
Drive time
~8½ hours
High point
759 m
States
NSW · VIC

Next 7 departures

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

  1. SatNov 14

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 17–24°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Sydney7 AM AEDTMostly sunny20°C
    Bowral8:15 AM AEDTMostly sunny19°C
    Breadalbane9:15 AM AEDTPartly sunny19°C
    Gundagai10:45 AM AEDTPartly sunny24°C
    Albury12:15 PM AEDTMostly sunny24°C
    Benalla1:30 PM AEDTMostly sunny23°C
    Seymour2:30 PM AEDTPartly sunny19°C
    Melbourne3:30 PM AEDTPartly sunny17°C
  2. SunNov 15

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 12–21°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Sydney7 AM AEDTCloudy19°C
    Bowral8:15 AM AEDTHeavy rain12°C
    Breadalbane9:15 AM AEDTCloudy14°C
    Gundagai10:45 AM AEDTPartly sunny21°C
    Albury12:15 PM AEDTPartly sunny21°C
    Benalla1:30 PM AEDTMostly sunny21°C
    Seymour2:30 PM AEDTLight rain showers18°C
    Melbourne3:30 PM AEDTMostly sunny15°C
  3. MonNov 16

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 10–19°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Sydney7 AM AEDTLight rain17°C
    Bowral8:15 AM AEDTRain10°C
    Breadalbane9:15 AM AEDTCloudy12°C
    Gundagai10:45 AM AEDTSunny19°C
    Albury12:15 PM AEDTSunny18°C
    Benalla1:30 PM AEDTSunny18°C
    Seymour2:30 PM AEDTPartly sunny15°C
    Melbourne3:30 PM AEDTLight rain13°C
  4. TueNov 17

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 11–21°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Sydney7 AM AEDTPartly sunny16°C
    Bowral8:15 AM AEDTCloudy11°C
    Breadalbane9:15 AM AEDTCloudy14°C
    Gundagai10:45 AM AEDTSunny20°C
    Albury12:15 PM AEDTMostly sunny21°C
    Benalla1:30 PM AEDTSunny21°C
    Seymour2:30 PM AEDTMostly sunny17°C
    Melbourne3:30 PM AEDTCloudy15°C
  5. WedNov 18

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 15–25°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Sydney7 AM AEDTPartly sunny18°C
    Bowral8:15 AM AEDTCloudy15°C
    Breadalbane9:15 AM AEDTCloudy16°C
    Gundagai10:45 AM AEDTMostly sunny23°C
    Albury12:15 PM AEDTSunny25°C
    Benalla1:30 PM AEDTSunny24°C
    Seymour2:30 PM AEDTPartly sunny21°C
    Melbourne3:30 PM AEDTPartly sunny17°C
  6. ThuNov 19

    ClearNo significant weather expected. Temperatures 17–26°C along the way.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Sydney7 AM AEDTPartly sunny18°C
    Bowral8:15 AM AEDTCloudy17°C
    Breadalbane9:15 AM AEDTCloudy21°C
    Gundagai10:45 AM AEDTCloudy26°C
    Albury12:15 PM AEDTCloudy25°C
    Benalla1:30 PM AEDTCloudy26°C
    Seymour2:30 PM AEDTCloudy25°C
    Melbourne3:30 PM AEDTCloudy19°C
  7. FriNov 20

    CautionHeavy rain near Gundagai around 10:45 AM AEDT.

    Along the way
    Checkpoint · arrivalWeather · temperature
    Sydney7 AM AEDTCloudy20°C
    Bowral8:15 AM AEDTCloudy18°C
    Breadalbane9:15 AM AEDTCloudy19°C
    Gundagai10:45 AM AEDTHeavy rain20°C
    Albury12:15 PM AEDTRain showers25°C
    Benalla1:30 PM AEDTMostly sunny27°C
    Seymour2:30 PM AEDTMostly sunny27°C
    Melbourne3:30 PM AEDTSunny24°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 Sydney (no stops) and elevation. The forecast above is timed to these.

Breadalbane · 759 m 0 km 861 km
Elevation along the route (Terrain Tiles, sampled every 8 km).
  1. Sydney, NSWStart 68 melevation
  2. Bowral, NSWKm 114 · 1 h 11 min 681 melevation
  3. Breadalbane, NSWKm 217 · 2 h 11 min 759 melevation
  4. Gundagai, NSWKm 375 · 3 h 41 min 219 melevation
  5. Albury, NSWKm 550 · 5 h 22 min 164 melevation
  6. Benalla, VICKm 666 · 6 h 28 min 174 melevation
  7. Seymour, VICKm 766 · 7 h 26 min 142 melevation
  8. Melbourne, VICKm 861 · 8 h 34 min 23 melevation

Typical weather by month

Average daily highs and lows, and days with 2.5 cm (an inch) or more of snow, at Sydney, Breadalbane and Melbourne.

MonthSydney
39 m
Breadalbane
Goulburn station · 670 m
Melbourne
31 m
High / low °CHigh / low °CHigh / low °C
Jan27° / 20°29° / 14°27° / 16°
Feb27° / 20°27° / 14°27° / 16°
Mar26° / 18°24° / 11°25° / 15°
Apr24° / 15°20° / 8°21° / 12°
May21° / 12°16° / 5°18° / 10°
Jun18° / 10°13° / 3°15° / 8°
Jul18° / 9°12° / 2°15° / 7°
Aug19° / 10°13° / 2°16° / 8°
Sep22° / 12°17° / 5°18° / 9°
Oct23° / 15°20° / 7°21° / 11°
Nov24° / 17°24° / 10°23° / 13°
Dec26° / 18°26° / 12°25° / 14°

1991–2020 averages computed from NOAA NCEI daily station records (GHCN-Daily): SYDNEY OBSERVATORY HILL, AS (ASN00066062, 39 m); GOULBURN TAFE, AS (ASN00070263, 670 m); MELBOURNE REGIONAL OFFICE, AS (ASN00086071, 31 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 New South Wales and Victoria 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 Sydney to Melbourne 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 Sydney to Melbourne?

861 km (535 miles), about 8½ hours of driving without stops, by way of M31. Fuel, food and rest stops add to that.

What is the highest point on the drive?

Breadalbane, at 759 m (2,491 ft). It comes at km 217, about 2 h 11 min of driving after you leave Sydney.

How cold is Breadalbane in July?

The nearest long-term NOAA station, Goulburn (670 m), averages a high of 12°C and a low of 2°C in July (1991–2020 averages).

How cold is Melbourne in July?

Melbourne averages a high of 15°C and a low of 7°C in July (1991–2020 averages).