Dessalines climate
Dessalines (Haiti) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 28 °C82 °F, and about 542 mm21 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Dessalines climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3086 | 2069 | 2577 | 351.4 |
| Feb | 3188 | 2069 | 2679 | 210.8 |
| Mar | 3290 | 2170 | 2680 | 291.1 |
| Apr | 3391 | 2272 | 2882 | 341.3 |
| May | 3392 | 2475 | 2883 | 582.3 |
| Jun | 3493 | 2577 | 2985 | 391.5 |
| Jul | 3594 | 2577 | 3086 | 331.3 |
| Aug | 3594 | 2577 | 3086 | 491.9 |
| Sep | 3493 | 2577 | 2985 | 552.2 |
| Oct | 3290 | 2476 | 2883 | 793.1 |
| Nov | 3187 | 2373 | 2780 | 722.8 |
| Dec | 3086 | 2170 | 2678 | 391.5 |
| Year | 3594 | 2069 | 2882 | 54221 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76% | 36% | 4.6 | 11:05 |
| Feb | 72% | 35% | 5.2 | 11:29 |
| Mar | 69% | 40% | 5.7 | 11:59 |
| Apr | 69% | 45% | 6.1 | 12:34 |
| May | 70% | 58% | 5.9 | 13:02 |
| Jun | 70% | 53% | 6.4 | 13:17 |
| Jul | 69% | 48% | 6.5 | 13:11 |
| Aug | 71% | 53% | 6.3 | 12:47 |
| Sep | 73% | 54% | 5.8 | 12:13 |
| Oct | 77% | 56% | 5.0 | 11:40 |
| Nov | 79% | 47% | 4.4 | 11:12 |
| Dec | 79% | 34% | 4.4 | 10:58 |
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 Dessalines is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 35 °C94 °F and a low of 25 °C77 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 30 °C86 °F and lows 20 °C69 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 4.6 °C8.4 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 542 mm21 in. The wettest three-month stretch is September–November, which brings 38% of the annual total. The wettest month is October (79 mm3.1 in), the driest is February (21 mm0.8 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 69% in April to 79% in November. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 34%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in September to 12 km/h (7 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 11.0 hours in December to 13.3 hours in June.
Best time to visit Dessalines
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December–February: average highs of 30 °C86 °F to 31 °C88 °F with 21 mm0.8 in to 39 mm1.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 35 °C94 °F.
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 Dessalines
- Wetter months (May, August–November) — highs 3187 to 35 °C94 °F, lows 2373 to 25 °C77 °F, about 63 mm2.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Drier months (December–April, June and July) — highs 3086 to 35 °C94 °F, lows 2069 to 25 °C77 °F, about 33 mm1.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Dessalines compares
Compared with Saint-Marc, about 26 km to the southwest, Dessalines is on average 0.7 °C1.2 °F warmer and receives 9% more precipitation (542 mm21 in vs 499 mm20 in). The difference is largest in September (0.9 °C1.6 °F warmer).
Of the 9 places in Haiti covered by World Climates, Dessalines is the 6th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 5th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Haiti climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: La Romana (Dominican Republic, BSh), La Vega (Dominican Republic, BSh) and San Pedro de Macorís (Dominican Republic, BSh).
Nearby places
- Saint-Marc 26 km · 27 °C81 °F · 499 mm20 in
- Arcahaie 55 km · 29 °C84 °F · 499 mm20 in
- Cap-Haïtien 65 km · 27 °C81 °F · 653 mm26 in
- Port-au-Prince 82 km · 29 °C84 °F · 509 mm20 in
- Port-de-Paix 82 km · 27 °C81 °F · 700 mm28 in
- Tigwav 99 km · 29 °C83 °F · 538 mm21 in
- Jacmel 114 km · 28 °C83 °F · 584 mm23 in
- Les Cayes 176 km · 28 °C82 °F · 797 mm31 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Dessalines?
July is the warmest month in Dessalines, with an average high of 35 °C (94 °F) and an average low of 25 °C (77 °F).
What is the coldest month in Dessalines?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 30 °C (86 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (69 °F).
When does it rain the most in Dessalines?
October is the wettest month with about 79 mm (3.1 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 21 mm (0.8 in).
What is the best time to visit Dessalines?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December–February.
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 361 m, while Dessalines lies at about 26 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +2.2 °C3.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.