The Nut: When Does the Wind Ease?

An hour-by-hour wind outlook for the exposed summit of The Nut today and tomorrow — so you can pick a calm window, whether you take the chairlift or walk up.

Stanley's weather is mostly about the wind. The Nut — the flat-topped volcanic plug above the town — is open and exposed on every side, and the chairlift up it stops running when the wind is too strong. This page reads the wind forecast for the summit, hour by hour, and shows when it is likely to ease today and tomorrow, in plain words on the Beaufort scale.

Today, Monday, June 15

The wind eases before 10 am, and after 4 pm.

gusts 36 km/h (Beaufort 5 · Fresh breeze), sustained 19 km/h.

As of June 15 at 8:39 PM. These are modelled gusts for the area, not a reading on the ridge — an exposed col funnels the wind harder than the grid cell.

This is a weather model, not the park’s decision. Los Glaciares National Park (APN) closes the trails on extreme-wind days — always check the park before going.

Hour by hour · Today

6–10 amBreezyGusts up to 33 km/h (Fresh breeze).
10 am–4 pmStrong windGusts up to 55 km/h (Near gale).
4–7 pmBreezyGusts up to 36 km/h (Fresh breeze).

Hour by hour · Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 16

6–7 amBreezyGusts up to 22 km/h (Moderate breeze).
7–8 amLightGusts up to 20 km/h (Gentle breeze).
8–11 amBreezyGusts up to 27 km/h (Moderate breeze).
11 am–noonLightGusts up to 18 km/h (Gentle breeze).
noon–1 pmBreezyGusts up to 37 km/h (Fresh breeze).
1–3 pm

How this page decides

Each hour is banded on the published Beaufort wind scale, read off the gusts — gusts are what knock you over on a ridge. Light: gusts under 20 km/h (Beaufort 0–3). Breezy: 20–38 (4–5). Strong wind: 39–61 (6–7, hard to walk against). Gale: 62–88 (8–9, impedes progress). Violent: 89 km/h and up (10+, people blown over). An easy window means daytime hours where gusts stay under about 38 km/h. No thresholds on this page are ours.

Reading it for your plans

On top of The Nut

The summit plateau is open on every side, with no shelter once you are up. A 2.7 km loop runs around the rim, and the wind up there is usually stronger than down in the town.

The chairlift, or your own legs

The chairlift carries you up in a few minutes but stops in strong wind and closes over winter. The steep zig-zag path up takes about 15 minutes and is always there — so this page is really about whether the top will be bearable once you reach it.

Worth knowing

One of Australia's windiest corners

Stanley sits straight in the path of the Roaring Forties westerlies. Strong, persistent wind is a daily fact here, not an exception — so a genuinely calm window is worth planning around.

When the chairlift runs

The Nut Chairlift runs seven days a week in season (weather permitting) but closes at short notice in high wind, and shuts for winter maintenance from about mid-June to early September. It posts day-to-day changes on its website and Facebook page — check there before driving out, because this page forecasts the wind, not the operator's decision.

thenutchairlift.com.au, 2026-06-15

The official channels

The Nut Chairlift — today's statusThe operator decides day to day whether the chairlift runs, and posts wind and seasonal closures here and on Facebook.
The Nut State Reserve — Parks & Wildlife TasmaniaThe summit walk sits in a state reserve and is open year-round, chairlift or not.
Bureau of Meteorology — Stanley forecastThe official forecast, wind observations and any warnings.

Fetched June 15 at 8:39 PM. These are modelled gusts for the area, not a reading on the ridge — an exposed col funnels the wind harder than the grid cell. Open-Meteo — Wind data by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0). Bands from the Beaufort wind scale.