Climate - Nicaragua

Index

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• Introduction
• Center-west - Rivas, Managua
• Caribbean coast - Bluefields
• Hurricanes

Introduction

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Nicaragua, a country of Central America located just north of the Equator, has a tropical climate, hot all year round.
Temperatures are quite stable; however, there is a relatively cool winter from November to January, a hot spring from March to May, and a sultry and rainy summer from May to October.
In addition, there is a difference between the two sides: the west coast, facing the Pacific Ocean, is hotter and has a very pronounced dry season from December to April, while the eastern one, overlooking the Caribbean Sea, is more humid and rainy. In fact, the latter, being exposed to the north-east trade winds, receives rainfall even in winter, so the climate here can be defined as equatorial.
Consequently, rainfall is abundant on the east coast, from 3,000 to 4,000 millimeters (120 to 160 inches) per year, while it's much less abundant (about 1,200/1,300 mm or 47/51 in) in the central plains, where the city of Managua and the lakes Nicaragua and Managua are located. Along the Pacific coast, the rains amount to 1,700/1,900 mm (67/75 in).

Center-west

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On the west coast, it's hot all year round, although there are the sea breezes. The hottest time of the year is from March to May. There is a dry season from December to April and a rainy season from May to November.
The northern part, near the border with Honduras, is very hot, so much so that the temperature can reach 39/40 °C (102/104 °F) from March to May. Here are the average temperatures of Chinandega, located in the north-west, 13 km (8 mi) away from the coast and 15 km (9 mi) from Mount San Cristóbal, which is the highest volcano in Nicaragua with its 1,745 meters (5,725 ft).

In the southern part, the coast is a little less hot, also due to the presence of Lake Nicaragua (or Cocibolca), which however increases the humidity.

Rivas

Here are the average temperatures of Rivas, near Lake Nicaragua and 15 km (9 mi) from the southern part of the Pacific coast.

In Rivas, 1,700 mm (67 in) of rain fall per year, with a dry season from December to April, and abundant rains from June to October.

The sun in Rivas shines regularly in the dry period, while in the rainy season, the sky is often cloudy in the afternoon, when thunderstorms break out, while in the morning, there are still a few hours of sunshine. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

On the Pacific coast, the sea is warm enough for swimming all year round. Here is the sea temperature in San Juan del Sur, located on the coast near Rivas.

Managua

Managua, the capital, is located at 12 degrees north latitude and 50 km (30 mi) away from the sea, near a lake that provides moisture, and is a particularly hot city.
The hottest days of the year are recorded before the rains, from March to May, when temperatures can reach 37/38 °C (98/100 °F), especially in El Niño years, such as 1998 and 2016, which are particularly hot. In May, the first rainy month, the rains slowly begin to lower the temperature. In the period from June to November, the maximum temperatures are around 32 °C (89.5 °F), but the humidity is higher.
At night, it never gets cold. From November to March, on cooler nights, the temperature generally drops to 18/20 °C (64/68 °F), but sometimes it can drop to 15/16 °C (59/61 °F).
Here are the average temperatures.

In Managua, 1,200 mm (47 in) of rain fall per year, and the dry season, which runs from December to April, is very pronounced, so much so that it almost never rains. In the rainy season, from May to mid-November, the wettest months are June, September, and October, with more than 200 mm (8 in) of rain per month. Here is the average precipitation.

The sun in Managua often shines in the dry period, while in the rainy season, it shines for a few hours a day.



Nicaragua is known as the land of lakes and volcanoes. Some volcanoes rise directly from the plain, such as San Cristobal, other rise from lakes, such as Concepción, which emerges from Lake Nicaragua. In the north-central inland region, there is a mountain range, called Cordillera Chontaleña. In the highlands, the weather becomes mild above 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), in the so-called tierras templadas.
In Jinotega, located in the northwest at 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) above sea level and colloquially called "the city of mist", on cooler nights the temperature generally drops to 14/15 °C (57/59 °F) from December to March, but can sometimes drop to 11/12 °C (52/54 °F). From March to May, on the hottest days, the temperature generally reaches 30/32 °C (86/90 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Caribbean coast

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On the Caribbean coast, there is no real dry month. Owing to both the rains and the trade winds, the temperatures are a bit lower than on the west coast, but relative humidity is consistently high.

Bluefields

Here are the average temperatures in Bluefields; as you can see, they are lower than on the west side, especially during the day and from December to April, when in the west it is the dry season.

Precipitation in Bluefields amounts to 4,000 mm (160 in) per year; it rains a lot and almost every day from May to December, with a peak in July, with as high as 665 mm (26 in) of rain. March and April are the only months when the rains give a little break, dropping to around 80 mm (3 in) per month, in both cases, in 12 days.
Here is the average precipitation in Bluefields.

It goes a bit better further to the north, in Puerto Cabezas, where 3,000 mm (120 in) of rain fall per year, and rainfall drops to less than 100 mm (4 in) already in February.

Since the rains are more frequent and the rainy season is longer, the sun in Bluefields shines less often than in Managua and on the west coast. In particular, from June to August, the sky is often cloudy.

On the Caribbean coast too, the sea is warm all year round, as we can see from the water temperature near Bluefields.

East of Bluefields, we find two islands, called Corn Islands (Big Corn Island or Isla Grande del Maíz and Little Corn Island or Isla Pequeña del Maíz), which have a similar climate, with the least rainy period from February to April.

Hurricanes

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Nicaragua is located in the path of hurricanes, which come from the east, ie the Caribbean Sea, and may hit the country in the period from June to November, though they are most likely from August to October. A particularly intense hurricane was Joan-Miriam, which caused serious damage throughout the country in late October 1988, especially in Bluefields, another one was Mitch in late October 1998.
Then, there are the depressions and tropical storms that can be formed on the Pacific, as early as in mid-May; they are usually not intense because they affect the country in the early stages of their formation, but they can still bring heavy rainfall, which in turn can cause landslides and floods.

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