Arequipa climate
Arequipa (Peru) has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). The average temperature over the year is 17 °C63 °F, and about 149 mm5.9 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Arequipa climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2475 | 1253 | 1864 | 351.4 |
| Feb | 2374 | 1253 | 1864 | 471.9 |
| Mar | 2475 | 1153 | 1864 | 251.0 |
| Apr | 2476 | 1151 | 1763 | 60.2 |
| May | 2475 | 947 | 1661 | 20.1 |
| Jun | 2374 | 846 | 1660 | 00.0 |
| Jul | 2374 | 846 | 1560 | 20.1 |
| Aug | 2476 | 847 | 1661 | 10.0 |
| Sep | 2577 | 949 | 1763 | 30.1 |
| Oct | 2678 | 1050 | 1864 | 70.3 |
| Nov | 2678 | 1151 | 1865 | 40.1 |
| Dec | 2576 | 1152 | 1864 | 160.6 |
| Year | 2678 | 846 | 1763 | 1495.9 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64% | 63% | 6.6 | 13:00 |
| Feb | 69% | 68% | 6.0 | 12:39 |
| Mar | 67% | 57% | 6.2 | 12:14 |
| Apr | 56% | 41% | 6.3 | 11:45 |
| May | 40% | 29% | 5.9 | 11:21 |
| Jun | 36% | 26% | 5.5 | 11:09 |
| Jul | 34% | 27% | 5.6 | 11:14 |
| Aug | 32% | 26% | 6.4 | 11:34 |
| Sep | 35% | 29% | 7.2 | 12:02 |
| Oct | 38% | 36% | 7.9 | 12:30 |
| Nov | 43% | 39% | 8.3 | 12:54 |
| Dec | 55% | 52% | 7.6 | 13:06 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Arequipa is like
The warmest month is November, with an average high of 26 °C78 °F and a low of 11 °C51 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 23 °C74 °F and lows 8 °C46 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 2.7 °C4.9 °F.
It is very dry, with only 149 mm5.9 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 72% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: April–December. The wettest month is February (47 mm1.9 in), the driest is June (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 32% in August to 69% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 26%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (5 mph) in June to 9 km/h (6 mph) in November. Daylight lasts from about 11.2 hours in June to 13.1 hours in December.
Best time to visit Arequipa
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are all year: average highs of 23 °C74 °F to 26 °C78 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 47 mm1.9 in of precipitation per month.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Arequipa
- Wetter months (December–March) — highs 2374 to 25 °C76 °F, lows 1152 to 12 °C53 °F, about 31 mm1.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Drier months (April–November) — highs 2374 to 26 °C78 °F, lows 846 to 11 °C51 °F, about 3 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Arequipa compares
Compared with La Paz, about 361 km to the east, Arequipa is on average 8.9 °C15.9 °F warmer and receives 77% less precipitation (149 mm5.9 in vs 647 mm25 in). The difference is largest in July (9.7 °C17.5 °F warmer).
Of the 21 places in Peru covered by World Climates, Arequipa is the 14th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 12th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Peru climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Dhamar (Yemen, BWk), Asmara (Eritrea, BSk) and Calama (Chile, BWk).
Nearby places
- Puno 173 km · 10 °C50 °F · 421 mm17 in
- Juliaca 180 km · 10 °C49 °F · 482 mm19 in
- Tacna 226 km · 26 °C79 °F · 48 mm1.9 in
- Arica 266 km · 27 °C80 °F · 26 mm1.0 in
- Cusco 322 km · 11 °C52 °F · 718 mm28 in
- La Paz 361 km · 8 °C47 °F · 647 mm25 in
- Iquique 449 km · 23 °C73 °F · 11 mm0.4 in
- Alto Hospicio 456 km · 19 °C66 °F · 8 mm0.3 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Arequipa?
November is the warmest month in Arequipa, with an average high of 26 °C (78 °F) and an average low of 11 °C (51 °F).
What is the coldest month in Arequipa?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 23 °C (74 °F) and an average low of 8 °C (46 °F).
When does it rain the most in Arequipa?
February is the wettest month with about 47 mm (1.9 in) of precipitation; June is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Arequipa?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are all year.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 3,330 m, while Arequipa lies at about 2,397 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +6.1 °C10.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.