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Climate - Colombia


Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine

Flag - Colombia

Map - Colombia

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Colombia is a vast country of South America, crossed by the Equator in the southern part, and has different types of climate, although in the plains it is hot all year round, and everywhere there are small variations in temperature throughout the year. The main differences are due to the altitude, which affects the temperature, and also to the distribution and the amount of rainfall.
In fact, there are arid and rainy areas, grasslands and forests, plains where the heat is stifling and plateaus with a mild climate, pristine coastlines with a warm sea and snow-capped peaks in the Andes. In the tierras calientes, from sea level to about 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), it's hot all year round, while the tierras templadas at middle altitudes are pleasantly warm, and the tierras frías, above 2,000 meters (6,500 feet), are cool to cold.

Index


  • The deserts: Guajira Peninsula, Tatacoa
  • The savanna: Barranquilla, Cartagena, Llanos, San Andrés and Providencia
  • The forest: Pacific-Chocó, Amazon rainforest
  • The Andes: Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, Popayán
  • El Niño
  • Hurricanes

The deserts



Colombia, arid areas

Guajira Peninsula

In the far north, the Guajira Peninsula (see the red circle at the top of the map) is the most arid part of Colombia; in fact, precipitation is below 300 mm (12 in) per year, and there is even a desert, called La Guajira Desert. In the north of the peninsula, the Parque Nacional Natural Macuira is a bit greener because there are some hills that capture a bit of the moisture brought by the trade winds. This offshoot of Colombia, which overlooks the Caribbean Sea, can be affected by hurricanes, in the period from June to November (though most likely between August and October), but this rarely happens because it is located at the southern end of their trajectory.
In Riohacha, capital city of the La Guajira Department, the climate is hot throughout the year: in July, lows are around 26 °C (79 °F) and highs around 36 °C (97 °F), while in the coolest months, from December to February, they are just a few degrees lower. Here are the average temperatures.
Riohacha - Average temperatures (1991-2020)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January233227.8749082.1
February233328749182.3
March243228.2759082.7
April253329.2779284.6
May263430799386
June263530.6799587
July263631.1799687.9
August263530.2789486.4
September253429.6779385.3
October243328.6769183.5
November243228.2759082.7
December243328.3759182.9
Year24.833.529.176.792.284.5

Riohacha is located on the north coast, to the west of the peninsula, and although it does not rain a lot, it is not so dry, in fact the rains amount to 550 millimeters (22 inches) per year. However, the rains are quite scarce from December to April, then there is a first relatively rainy period in May and June, when 70 mm and 40 mm (2.8 and 1.6 in) of rain fall respectively, a second dry period from July to mid-August, and a second rainy period between September and mid-November; October is the wettest month with 150 mm (6 in) of rain. This rainfall pattern, with two dry and two rainy periods, is also found in other less arid areas; in fact, it is typical of sub-equatorial areas, where the sun passes directly overhead at noon twice a year. Here is the average precipitation in Riohacha.
Riohacha - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January40.21
February20.11
March30.11
April2513
May702.87
June401.63
July150.62
August401.64
September1305.19
October1505.911
November602.46
December200.82
Year55521.850

The Caribbean Sea in Colombia is warm all year round, and therefore also in this part of the coast, as can be seen in the following table.
Riohacha - Sea temperature
MonthCelsius (°C)Fahrenheit (°F)
January2678
February2678
March2678
April2680
May2781
June2882
July2781
August2882
September2883
October2984
November2883
December2781
Year27.280.9

Tatacoa Desert

In the south-western inland areas, between the two Andean mountain ranges and near the town of Villavieja, there is another arid zone, the Tatacoa Desert (see the small circle at the center of the map). It is an area occupied by canyons and rocky landscapes, where good visibility allows to see the shooting stars during the periods of meteor showers, but also the stars at the astronomical observatory and a collection of fossils of the area in the archaeological museum. The average altitude is about 400 meters (1,300 feet). There is intense heat throughout the year, as we can see from the temperature of the nearby town of San Alfonso.
San Alfonso - Average temperatures
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January233428.5739383.3
February233428.5739383.3
March233428.5739383.3
April233328739182.4
May223428729382.4
June233529739584.2
July233529739584.2
August233629.5739785.1
September233629.5739785.1
October233428.5739383.3
November223227729080.6
December223327.5729181.5
Year22.734.228.472.993.583

During the day, temperatures can reach 40 °C (104 °F) all year round, while at night they can drop to around 15/17 °C (59/63 °F).
The rains are below 1,000 mm (40 in) per year, but they are not entirely absent: some showers can occur throughout the year, but mainly in March and April and from October to December, while the driest months are June, July and August.

The savanna



Colombia, climate of the savanna
The climate of the savanna is hot year-round, with a dry season and a rainy season. To the southwest of the Guajira Peninsula, along the coast of the Caribbean Sea, the climate is more humid, so there is tropical (muggy) heat rather than torrid (hot and dry). Also, the rains are more abundant.
In Barranquilla, highs range between 31.5 °C and 33 °C (88.5 and 91 °F) throughout the year, and lows between 24 °C and 25 °C (75 to 77 °F). Here are the average temperatures.
Barranquilla - Average temperatures (1991-2020)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January243227.8758982
February243227.9758982.3
March243228.4769083.1
April253329.2779284.5
May253329.2779284.6
June253329.1779284.4
July253328.9779184
August253329.1779284.3
September243328.8769283.9
October243328.4769183.1
November243228.3769082.9
December253228.3768982.9
Year24.632.728.5576.390.883.5

In Barranquilla, it almost never rains from mid-December to April, but then the rainy season, from May to mid-November, is more pronounced than in the Guajira Peninsula, with a peak in the last part (Semptember-October). The summer break is not so evident: in July, 65 mm (2.6 in) of rain fall anyway. Total annual rainfall is 815 mm (32 in). Here is the average precipitation.
Barranquilla - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January100
February000
March100
April2514
May1154.59
June853.39
July652.67
August1054.110
September1556.113
October1656.515
November7538
December2512
Year82032.378

Continuing southwestward on the west coast, in Cartagena de Indias, at 10 degrees north latitude, it is hot all year round as well. The climate is similar to that of Barranquilla, although the rains are a little more abundant, reaching 1,000 mm (40 in) per year.

Continuing on the coast south of Cartagena, the temperatures remain similar, but the rains are even more abundant: in Santiago de Tolú, located a short distance from the Archipelago of San Bernardo, they reach 1,340 mm (52.7 in) per year, and exceed 150 mm (6 in) from May to November. Further south, precipitation reaches 1,400 mm (55 in) per year in San Bernardo del Viento, 1,465 mm (57 in) in Cristo Rey, and 1,700 mm (67 in) in Arboletes, which is located west of Monterìa. Here the dry season is reduced to about 4 months.
Here is the average rainfall in Arboletes.
Arboletes - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January150.63
February150.62
March401.64
April1254.98
May2509.814
June1907.512
July2007.913
August2258.912
September1907.511
October2058.112
November1857.311
December803.16
Year171067.3106

In the inland areas located east of the coast, the climate is similar to that of this portion of the coast, with a greater risk of intense heat, around 37/40 °C (99/104 °F) on sunny days.

Llanos

To the east of the Andes (in the map, the area to the right), there is a large area that has a similar climate, hot throughout the year, with a dry and a wet season: this is the area of the so-called Llanos, plains and hills occupied by the savannah. Compared with the previous area, here the rainfall is more abundant, above 2,000 mm (79 in), but there is still a relatively dry season, from December to March in the north (see Arauca, Puerto Carreno) and from mid-December to February in the center and south (see Las Gaviotas, San José del Guaviare). The dry period is also the hottest, with peaks above 35 °C (95 °F), when, however, air humidity is lower than in the rainy period.

San Andrés and Providencia

The small Caribbean islands of San Andrés and Providencia, located to the east of Nicaragua, are hot all year round, with highs around 29/31 °C (84/88 °F). These islands are very rainy: the total rainfall is 1,900 mm (75 in) per year; we put them in this section because here too there is a dry season, from mid-January to April, and a rainy season, from May to mid-January. Like the Peninsula de la Guajira, these islands are located at the lower part of the hurricane zone.

The forest



Colombia, areas with an equatorial climate
There are two areas of Colombia in the west and south-east, which have an equatorial climate, hot and rainy throughout the year. The rains generally occur in the form of downpours or thunderstorms, preferably in the afternoon or in the evening.

Pacific-Chocó

In the southernmost part of the coast of the Caribbean Sea, north of the border with Panama (see Acandí, Capurganá, Turbo, Necoclí), more than 2,000 millimeters (80 inches) of rain fall per year. The only period when precipitation drops to less than 150 millimeters (6 inches) per month is from January to March. Here is the average rainfall in Acandí.
Acandí - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January1305.19
February853.37
March1204.78
April28511.214
May37514.818
June27010.617
July29511.618
August28511.217
September2007.914
October2258.915
November27010.616
December2801114
Year2825111.2165

South of the border with Panama, the coastal area of the Pacific Ocean is even more rainy: rainfall reaches 5,350 mm (210 in) in Bahia Solano, and up to 6,900 mm (271 in) in Buenaventura, at almost 4 degrees north latitude.
East of the coast, on the slopes at the foot of the Western Cordillera of the Andes, we find Quibdó, which is the rainiest city in Colombia as well as one of the rainiest in the world. Here, annual rainfall reaches as high as 8,000 mm, ie 8 meters (or 26 feet)! Heavy downpours occur almost daily, and cloudiness forms in late morning and persists in the afternoon. In fact, Quibdó is the rainiest city in the world, at least of a certain size (in some mountainous areas of India, where it rains even more, there are only villages and small towns).
Here is the average precipitation.
Quibdo - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January55521.924
February51520.322
March52520.722
April6602625
May72028.327
June75529.726
July81532.126
August84033.127
September68026.827
October64025.227
November72028.326
December58022.826
Year8005315.2305

The temperatures in Quibdó are high throughout the year, and the air is constantly moist.
Further south, in San Andrés de Tumaco, near the border with Ecuador, the temperatures are high in a similar way, even though during the day they are a bit lower because the city is right on the coast, as can be seen in the following table.
Tumaco - Average temperatures
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January232926.2748479.1
February232926.4748579.5
March243026.7758580
April243026.7758580.1
May242926.6758579.9
June242926.4758579.5
July232926.3748479.3
August242926.3748479.4
September242926.2748479.2
October242926.3758479.3
November232926.1748479
December232926.1748479
Year23.629.126.374.484.579.5

In contrast, the rains are not as abundant as in Quibdó, especially from August to November, when the rainfall is lower than 150 millimeters (6 in) per month. Here is the average rainfall in Tumaco.
Tumaco - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January34013.421
February27510.819
March28511.219
April3301321
May36014.224
June2208.722
July1656.519
August953.716
September1254.917
October1154.515
November1355.314
December2058.117
Year2660104.7225

Amazon rainforest

The area we are dealing with (that is, the one circled in the left on the map) is not the only part of the country with an equatorial climate. The south-eastern part of Colombia, that of the Amazon rainforest (in the map, the area circled in the right), has a similar climate. This is an area, however vast, sparsely populated and difficult to penetrate.
In the far south, in Leticia, in the area where the Amazon River marks for a few kilometers the border with Peru, it rains a lot throughout the year, with a slight decrease in July and August. Here is the average precipitation.
Leticia - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January3551424
February33513.221
March35013.822
April35013.822
May29011.423
June2058.119
July1606.316
August1706.716
September2359.317
October26510.419
November30011.821
December29011.423
Year3305130.1243

In fact, here we are, albeit slightly, south of the Equator, so the seasons are reversed, and June, July and August can be considered as winter months, and sometimes nights can be a bit cool from June to September. Here are the average temperatures.
Leticia - Average temperatures (1991-2020)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January233127.2748880.9
February233127.2748880.9
March233127.3748881.1
April233127.1748880.7
May233026.7738780.1
June223026.2728679.2
July223126.3718779.3
August223226.8718980.2
September223227.4729081.2
October233227.5739081.5
November233227.5748981.6
December233127.3748881.2
Year22.831.3277388.380.5

The Andes



Colombia, climate of the Andes
In the west, Colombia is crossed from north to south by the Andes, which are divided into three mountain ranges, called Cordilleras: Western, Central and Eastern. To the three Cordilleras we must also add the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, which is located in the north, apart from them, and it's home to the highest peak of Colombia, Pico Cristóbal Colón (Christopher Columbus), 5,775 meters (18,947 feet) high. However, there are several peaks (often volcanic) exceeding 5,000 meters (16,500 ft). Considering that we are at the Equator, to find very low temperatures we must rise above 3,500 meters (11,500 ft), which is typically the limit beyond which neither trees nor towns are found.
Here are the average temperatures measured at 4,150 meters (13,600 feet) on the slopes of the Nevado del Ruiz, whose summit is at 5,321 meters (17,457 feet).
Nevado d. Ruiz - Average temperatures
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January194.7334740.4
February194.7344740.5
March194.9344840.8
April295.2354741.3
May285.2364741.4
June295.1354841.2
July194.8344840.6
August194.8344840.6
September184.7344740.4
October184.5344640.1
November184.7354640.5
December184.7344740.5
Year1.28.44.834.247.240.5

Between 3,500 and 4,500 meters (11,500 and 15,000 ft), there are areas with a particular kind of vegetation, a tropical high mountain tundra with shrubs and cactuses, called páramos, while over 4,500 meters (15,000 ft) there are snow-covered areas (called nevados).
In the Andean zone, the rainfall is more or less abundant depending on slope exposure, while the temperature varies with altitude.

Main cities

In the valleys between mountain ranges, the amount of rainfall is lower than in the two external sides, typically between 900 and 1,200 mm (35 and 47 in) per year. We have said that the western side, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean, is rain-soaked, but so is the eastern side, even though it doesn't reach the peaks of cities like Quibdó. For example, in Villavicencio, at 430 meters (1,400 feet) above sea level, 4,500 mm (178 in) of rain fall per year, and the only months when precipitation goes below 150 mm (6 in) are January (with 65 mm or 2.5 in) and February (with 130 mm or 5.1 in). Here, the relatively dry period goes from mid-December to mid-March. Further south, in Florencia, the least rainy period, with rainfall between 100 and 150 mm (4 and 6 in) per month, is shorter, and it's limited to December and January.
In the interior area of the Andes, there are many cities located at high altitudes.

Bogotá

The capital, Bogotá, is located at 2,600 meters (8,500 ft), and has a cool, spring-like climate all year round, with maximum temperatures ranging from 19 to 20 °C (66 to 68 °F) and minimum temperatures from 7 to 10 °C (44.5 to 50 °F). Here are the average temperatures.
Bogota - Average temperatures (1991-2020)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January72013.5446956.3
February82014.1466957.4
March92014.4486858
April102014.7496858.5
May102014.7496758.4
June91914.2496757.6
July91913.8486656.8
August91913.8476656.8
September82013.7466756.7
October82014.1476757.3
November92014.2486757.6
December82013.8466856.9
Year8.519.714.0547.367.457.5

The rainfall pattern is influenced by the two zenith passages of the sun (that is, when it shines directly overhead in the sky at mid-day), and therefore there are two maxima in April-May and October-November and two minima from December to February and from June to September. However, the minimum in the latter season is not very reliable, in fact, the rains decrease in quantity, but not in frequency (it rains often anyway). Moreover, from June to September the sun does not shine very often. Here is the average precipitation at the airport.
Bogota - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January301.28
February451.811
March652.614
April1003.918
May953.720
June552.218
July451.817
August451.816
September702.816
October1054.118
November903.517
December50212
Year79531.3185

A few kilometers west of Bogotá, near Mondoñedo, there is a small arid zone, called a bit emphatically "Sabrinsky Desert", where rainfall drops below 500 mm (20 in) per year. Rainfall drops below 500 mm (20 in) also to the north-east of the city, and about 100 km (60 mi) to the north-east, in the department of Boyacá, we find the "Candelaria Desert", an arid area at about 2,100/2,500 meters (6,900/8,200 feet) above sea level, where therefore the temperatures are a little higher than in the capital.

Bogotá

The city of Cali is located at a lower altitude, around 1,000 meters (3,300 feet). Here, the temperature is definitely higher than in Bogotá, and the climate is hot, but all in all it's usually bearable, at least more than at sea level. However, sometimes the temperature can reach 33/35 °C (91/95 °F) all year round. Here are the average temperatures.
Cali - Average temperatures (1991-2020)
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January193024.7668776.4
February193125678776.9
March193124.9678776.9
April193024.8678676.6
May193024.6678676.2
June193024.5668676.1
July193124.7668776.5
August193124.9668876.9
September193124.8668876.7
October193024.4668675.9
November192924.2668575.5
December193024.4668575.9
Year19.130.224.666.386.476.5

In Cali, both the the pattern and the amount of rainfall (which is about 1,000 mm or 40 inches), are similar to those of Bogotá, although there's more sun and the rains from June to August are less frequent. In the western districts of the city, closer to the mountains, and especially in the south-west, closer to the Farallones de Cali, a massif of 4,000 meters (13,100 ft), the rains are more abundant.
Compared with Bogotá and Cali, Medellín is located at an intermediate altitude, 1,500 meters (5,000 feet), and as can be expected it has warm daytime temperatures, but without excesses, and quite cool nights: lows are around 18 °C (64 °F), while highs are around 27/29 °C (81/84 °F). Here are the average temperatures. However, the rains in Medellín are more abundant, about 1,700 mm (66 in) per year, and there is no decrease from June to August.

Popayán

Another city that lies at a high altitude is Popayán, about 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) above sea level, and therefore at an intermediate altitude between Bogotá and Medellin. This is really a city of eternal spring: highs are around 24/26 °C (75/79 °F) and lows around 12/14 °C (54/57 °F) all year round. Here are the average temperatures.
Popayán - Average temperatures
MonthMin (°C)Max (°C)Mean (°C)Min (°F)Max (°F)Mean (°F)
January132519567666.2
February142519.2567766.5
March142519.3577766.8
April142519.4577667
May142519.4577767
June132519.1567766.3
July122518.9547866
August122619547866.2
September132619557866.3
October142519.1577666.5
November142419.1577666.5
December142419.1577666.3
Year13.424.919.156.176.866.5

Here, however, the rains are more abundant, about 1,900 mm (75 in) per year, and being situated more to the south, it doesn't experience a real decrease in January and February, when it still rains a lot. Here is the average precipitation.
Popayán - Average precipitation
MonthMillimetersInchesDays
January2108.318
February1656.516
March2108.320
April2058.121
May1656.521
June853.314
July552.211
August50210
September1104.315
October26510.424
November3301324
December26510.423
Year211083.1216

El Niño



The climate of Colombia is influenced by the phenomenon known as ENSO: a cycle that comprises periods when the waters of the Pacific become warmer than normal, i.e. those classified as El Niño, alternating with normal (or neutral) periods, and others in which they become colder than normal, i.e. those classified as La Niña. In much of Colombia, in El Niño years the rainy season becomes hotter and drier than normal, while in La Niña years it becomes cooler and rainier.
On the contrary, in the southernmost part of the coast, north of Ecuador (see Tumaco), the relatively dry season that normally occurs from August to November does not occur in El Niño years, when the rains are still heavy like in the rest of the year, while in La Niña years it becomes definitely dry.

Hurricanes



As mentioned, the far north of Colomba (Guajira Peninsula, Barranquilla, Cartagena) lies at the edge of the area over which hurricanes, the tropical cyclones of the Atlantic Ocean, can pass. This means that hurricanes affect this area quite rarely, but sometimes they can do it, as happened with Hurricane Joan in October 1988, Cesar in late July 1996, Matthew in late September 2016, and Iota in mid-November 2020.
The islands of San Andrés and Providencia, being located a bit further to the north, are hit by hurricanes more often and in a more direct manner.
The hurricane season runs from June to November, but they are most likely from August to October.

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 Arauca
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