Cuenca climate
Cuenca (Ecuador) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 13 °C56 °F, and about 986 mm39 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Cuenca climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1865 | 1050 | 1457 | 853.3 |
| Feb | 1864 | 1050 | 1457 | 983.9 |
| Mar | 1864 | 1050 | 1457 | 1244.9 |
| Apr | 1763 | 1050 | 1456 | 1064.2 |
| May | 1762 | 949 | 1355 | 893.5 |
| Jun | 1660 | 846 | 1253 | 793.1 |
| Jul | 1660 | 745 | 1253 | 582.3 |
| Aug | 1762 | 745 | 1254 | 512.0 |
| Sep | 1864 | 846 | 1355 | 491.9 |
| Oct | 1865 | 949 | 1457 | 803.1 |
| Nov | 1965 | 1050 | 1458 | 863.4 |
| Dec | 1865 | 1050 | 1457 | 813.2 |
| Year | 1965 | 745 | 1356 | 98639 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 85% | 81% | 3.9 | 12:16 |
| Feb | 87% | 86% | 3.5 | 12:12 |
| Mar | 87% | 88% | 3.6 | 12:08 |
| Apr | 88% | 80% | 3.8 | 12:03 |
| May | 88% | 75% | 3.8 | 11:59 |
| Jun | 88% | 74% | 3.6 | 11:57 |
| Jul | 87% | 72% | 3.7 | 11:58 |
| Aug | 84% | 73% | 3.9 | 12:01 |
| Sep | 82% | 72% | 4.1 | 12:06 |
| Oct | 83% | 79% | 4.3 | 12:11 |
| Nov | 83% | 79% | 4.4 | 12:15 |
| Dec | 85% | 81% | 4.0 | 12:17 |
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 Cuenca is like
The warmest month is November, with an average high of 19 °C65 °F and a low of 10 °C50 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 16 °C60 °F and lows 7 °C45 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 2.7 °C4.9 °F.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 986 mm39 in. The wettest three-month stretch is February–April, which brings 33% of the annual total. The wettest month is March (124 mm4.9 in), the driest is September (49 mm1.9 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 82% in September to 88% in June. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 72%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in November to 11 km/h (7 mph) in August.
Best time to visit Cuenca
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are August–January: average highs of 17 °C62 °F to 19 °C65 °F with 49 mm1.9 in to 86 mm3.4 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 Cuenca
- Wetter months (January–May, November) — highs 1762 to 19 °C65 °F, lows 949 to 10 °C50 °F, about 98 mm3.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (June–October, December) — highs 1660 to 18 °C65 °F, lows 745 to 10 °C50 °F, about 66 mm2.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Cuenca compares
Compared with Guayaquil, about 126 km to the northwest, Cuenca is on average 14.4 °C25.9 °F cooler and receives 28% more precipitation (986 mm39 in vs 771 mm30 in). The difference is largest in July (16.4 °C29.5 °F cooler).
Of the 16 places in Ecuador covered by World Climates, Cuenca is the 13th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 9th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Ecuador climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Facatativá (Colombia, Cfb), Pasto (Colombia, Csb) and Wellington (New Zealand, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Milagro 108 km · 29 °C83 °F · 912 mm36 in
- Machala 114 km · 27 °C81 °F · 501 mm20 in
- Loja 124 km · 17 °C62 °F · 632 mm25 in
- Guayaquil 126 km · 28 °C82 °F · 771 mm30 in
- Riobamba 142 km · 13 °C55 °F · 1,398 mm55 in
- Daule 158 km · 28 °C82 °F · 771 mm30 in
- Ambato 188 km · 14 °C57 °F · 1,253 mm49 in
- Quevedo 214 km · 28 °C82 °F · 1,257 mm50 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Cuenca?
November is the warmest month in Cuenca, with an average high of 19 °C (65 °F) and an average low of 10 °C (50 °F).
What is the coldest month in Cuenca?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 16 °C (60 °F) and an average low of 7 °C (45 °F).
When does it rain the most in Cuenca?
March is the wettest month with about 124 mm (4.9 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 49 mm (1.9 in).
What is the best time to visit Cuenca?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are August–January.
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.