Balsas climate
Balsas (Maranhão, Brazil) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 28 °C82 °F, and about 1,207 mm48 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Balsas climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3187 | 2272 | 2680 | 2168.5 |
| Feb | 3086 | 2272 | 2679 | 1947.6 |
| Mar | 3086 | 2272 | 2679 | 1947.6 |
| Apr | 3087 | 2272 | 2679 | 1345.3 |
| May | 3289 | 2272 | 2780 | 532.1 |
| Jun | 3391 | 2170 | 2781 | 80.3 |
| Jul | 3493 | 2170 | 2882 | 40.2 |
| Aug | 3696 | 2272 | 2984 | 40.2 |
| Sep | 3799 | 2475 | 3187 | 240.9 |
| Oct | 3697 | 2576 | 3087 | 953.8 |
| Nov | 3493 | 2475 | 2984 | 1254.9 |
| Dec | 3290 | 2373 | 2882 | 1576.2 |
| Year | 3799 | 2170 | 2882 | 1,20748 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78% | 78% | 5.0 | 12:31 |
| Feb | 82% | 81% | 5.1 | 12:21 |
| Mar | 82% | 82% | 5.1 | 12:10 |
| Apr | 80% | 70% | 5.1 | 11:57 |
| May | 72% | 49% | 5.2 | 11:46 |
| Jun | 57% | 24% | 5.6 | 11:41 |
| Jul | 48% | 16% | 5.9 | 11:43 |
| Aug | 41% | 18% | 6.4 | 11:52 |
| Sep | 39% | 35% | 6.4 | 12:04 |
| Oct | 51% | 63% | 5.5 | 12:17 |
| Nov | 65% | 72% | 5.0 | 12:28 |
| Dec | 72% | 76% | 5.0 | 12:33 |
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 Balsas is like
The warmest month is September, with an average high of 37 °C99 °F and a low of 24 °C75 °F. The coldest is February, when highs average 30 °C86 °F and lows 22 °C72 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 4.6 °C8.3 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,207 mm48 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 50% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June–August. The wettest month is January (216 mm8.5 in), the driest is July (4 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 39% in September to 82% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 16%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in March to 11 km/h (7 mph) in September.
Best time to visit Balsas
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May: average highs of 32 °C89 °F to 32 °C89 °F with 53 mm2.1 in to 53 mm2.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C87 °F, very wet (216 mm8.5 in) and humid (78% relative humidity).
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 Balsas
- Wetter months (November–April) — highs 3086 to 34 °C93 °F, lows 2272 to 24 °C75 °F, about 170 mm6.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (May–October) — highs 3289 to 37 °C99 °F, lows 2170 to 25 °C76 °F, about 31 mm1.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Balsas compares
Compared with Araguaína, about 242 km to the west, Balsas is on average 0.7 °C1.2 °F warmer and receives 19% less precipitation (1,207 mm48 in vs 1,486 mm58 in). The difference is largest in June (1.4 °C2.6 °F warmer).
Of the 223 places in Brazil covered by World Climates, Balsas is the 13th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 163rd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Brazil climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): San Fernando de Apure (Venezuela, Aw), Ubon Ratchathani (Thailand, Aw) and Siem Reap (Cambodia, Aw).
Nearby places
- Araguaína 242 km · 27 °C81 °F · 1,486 mm58 in
- Imperatriz 275 km · 28 °C82 °F · 1,315 mm52 in
- Açailândia 330 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,392 mm55 in
- Palmas 386 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,510 mm59 in
- Bacabal 392 km · 28 °C82 °F · 1,513 mm60 in
- Codó 417 km · 28 °C82 °F · 1,381 mm54 in
- Marabá 417 km · 28 °C82 °F · 1,569 mm62 in
- Caxias 420 km · 28 °C83 °F · 1,278 mm50 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Balsas?
September is the warmest month in Balsas, with an average high of 37 °C (99 °F) and an average low of 24 °C (75 °F).
What is the coldest month in Balsas?
February is the coldest month, with an average high of 30 °C (86 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (72 °F).
When does it rain the most in Balsas?
January is the wettest month with about 216 mm (8.5 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 4 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Balsas?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May.
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 345 m, while Balsas lies at about 254 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.6 °C1.1 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.