Mexico - weather in January

January is the central month of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and in Mexico, a very extensive country crossed by the Tropic of Cancer in the central part, it is very mild on the plains and coasts of the north, and warm in the south.
However, in the mountains of the north (Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental) it is cold. In the northern plateau (see Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua), where we find the Chihuahua Desert, it gets cold at night as well.
Furthermore, January is the coolest month of the year in most of Mexico, except the westernmost part (see the states of Baja California, Baja California Sur and Sonora), where the coolest month is usually December.
During winter, the Norte can blow from the United States, a cold wind capable of abruptly lowering the temperature, especially in the center-north. Because of this wind, the inland areas of the north (a little less the coastal areas) can experience cold waves during the winter, with snowfalls and frosts, especially in hilly and mountainous areas.
In the south it is warm even in winter, but only on the coasts and in the lowlands (the tierras calientes). The hottest and sunniest area is the southern coast, facing the Pacific (see Acapulco), while the coast of the Gulf of Mexico (see Veracruz), can receive a bit of cool air from the north. The Yucatán peninsula (see Mérida, Campeche) is warmer, but there can be cool and windy days, and even some rain, especially on the eastern side, in Cancún and the Riviera Maya.
Instead, on the plateaus, especially above 2,000 metres (6,500 feet), in the tierras frìas, there is a considerable thermal excursion, and it gets cold at night. On the highest volcanoes, the average temperature is just above freezing at 4,000 metres (13,000 ft).
Generally, winter in Mexico is a dry season, however, as mentioned, there can be some rains in Yucatán, and this is even more true in northern Chiapas (see Palenque).
Even in the northwest, in the western part of Baja California (see Tijuana), where the climate has Mediterranean characteristics, it can sometimes rain.
Mexico is located at fairly low latitudes, however, in January the day is quite short, about 10 hours in the north and 11 hours in the south.

The sea is warm enough for swimming, with a temperature of about 23 °C (73 °F), on the Pacific coast, from about the latitude of the Tropic (see Mazatlán), and it is very warm in the southernmost part (see Acapulco).
Also on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the sea reaches 23 °C (73 °F) at the height of the Tropic (see Tampico), while in Cancún and the Riviera Maya it is warmer, around 26 °C (79 °F).
Instead, to the west, in the Baja California peninsula, the sea is cold in the northern part, where a cold current flows, while it is quite cool, 22 °C (71.5 °F), in the southern tip (see Los Cabos).

The following tables show the climate averages in the month of January in Mexico in a selection of locations.

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Monthly climate averages - January

(from north to south)
















See also: Mexico, the weather in December - February
The climate of Mexico