Climate and Weather of Colombia
Colombia has a wide range of climate types. However most parts of Colombia are affected by a tropical rain forest climate. This is characterized by high temperatures throughout the year and fairly high amounts of rainfall, especially along the western coastal areas.On the high plains to the east of the mountains there is quite a bit of rain. As you move more eastwards, the amounts of precipitation decreases significantly. The far north-east of Colombia is the driest, here you find a combination of a warm desert climate and warm steppe climate.
Large elevation differences in Colombia causes the temperature per height to drop. The low-lying areas have an average annual temperature of 24°C inland and along the coastal areas in the west, going up to around 28°C along the coast in the north and north-east. The areas that are between a thousand and two thousand meters (3280 - 6561 ft) have an average annual temperature of 16°C to 19°C. The peaks above 4000 meters (13123 ft) are even freezing, with eternal snow in many places.
The seasons in Colombia are mostly determined by the precipitation pattern. The north has a rainy season that runs from May to November and is relatively dry in the other months. The west coast along the Pacific ocean has no real rainy season, here it rains a lot throughout the year. In the Amazon region in southern Colombia, the seasons are reversed. The period June to September here is less wet than the rest of the year, but the amounts of rain are still quite high in the so called 'dry' months.
As you can see it is not so easy to name a period as the best travel time. Colombia has such a great diversity in rainfall patterns that the best travel periods vary each part of Colombia. If you look at all the different climate charts, the period December to March wins as the best travel time. For large parts of Colombia, this is considered the driest period.
Are you interested in more detailed information for various cities in Colombia?
Please select the city you plan to visit, or one closest to your destination. For each selected city, you will see the following graphs:
1. Yearly average minimum and maximum temperatures
2. Monthly averages of precipitation throughout the year (rainfall, snow etc)
3. Monthly average hours of sunshine throughout the year
Additionally, some pages provide historical weather data such as humidity, wind speed, and water temperature.