Jimma climate
Jimma (Ethiopia) has a subtropical highland (dry winter) climate (Köppen Cwb). The average temperature over the year is 19 °C67 °F, and about 1,738 mm68 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Jimma climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2679 | 1356 | 2067 | 240.9 |
| Feb | 2883 | 1559 | 2271 | 361.4 |
| Mar | 2882 | 1660 | 2271 | 1114.4 |
| Apr | 2578 | 1660 | 2169 | 2198.6 |
| May | 2475 | 1660 | 2067 | 26110 |
| Jun | 2272 | 1558 | 1865 | 2138.4 |
| Jul | 2271 | 1457 | 1864 | 1987.8 |
| Aug | 2271 | 1457 | 1864 | 2158.5 |
| Sep | 2272 | 1458 | 1865 | 2088.2 |
| Oct | 2374 | 1457 | 1966 | 1495.9 |
| Nov | 2475 | 1355 | 1865 | 712.8 |
| Dec | 2577 | 1254 | 1965 | 331.3 |
| Year | 2883 | 1254 | 1967 | 1,73868 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62% | 52% | 5.6 | 11:43 |
| Feb | 56% | 62% | 5.9 | 11:52 |
| Mar | 63% | 72% | 6.0 | 12:04 |
| Apr | 77% | 78% | 5.9 | 12:17 |
| May | 84% | 81% | 5.6 | 12:28 |
| Jun | 88% | 84% | 4.9 | 12:34 |
| Jul | 88% | 89% | 4.1 | 12:32 |
| Aug | 88% | 88% | 4.4 | 12:22 |
| Sep | 86% | 83% | 5.1 | 12:09 |
| Oct | 78% | 67% | 5.8 | 11:56 |
| Nov | 72% | 57% | 5.6 | 11:46 |
| Dec | 66% | 47% | 5.5 | 11:41 |
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 Jimma is like
The warmest month is March, with an average high of 28 °C82 °F and a low of 16 °C60 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 22 °C71 °F and lows 14 °C57 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 4 °C7.2 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,738 mm68 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is April–June, which brings 40% of the annual total. The wettest month is May (261 mm10 in), the driest is January (24 mm0.9 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 56% in February to 88% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 47%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 2 km/h (1 mph) in April to 3 km/h (2 mph) in November.
Best time to visit Jimma
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–February: average highs of 24 °C75 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 24 mm0.9 in to 71 mm2.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is May, which is very wet (261 mm10 in).
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 Jimma
- Wetter months (April–October) — highs 2271 to 25 °C78 °F, lows 1457 to 16 °C60 °F, about 209 mm8.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Drier months (November–March) — highs 2475 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 1254 to 16 °C60 °F, about 55 mm2.2 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 Jimma compares
Compared with Awasa, about 193 km to the east, Jimma is on average 0.9 °C1.6 °F cooler and receives 21% more precipitation (1,738 mm68 in vs 1,432 mm56 in). The difference is largest in June (1.4 °C2.5 °F cooler).
Of the 27 places in Ethiopia covered by World Climates, Jimma is the 13th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 2nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Ethiopia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Kitale (Kenya, Cfb), Bukavu (DR Congo, Aw) and Bafoussam (Cameroon, Aw).
Nearby places
- Hosaina 113 km · 17 °C63 °F · 1,305 mm51 in
- Sodo 137 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,538 mm61 in
- Nekemte 160 km · 17 °C63 °F · 1,809 mm71 in
- Awasa 193 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,432 mm56 in
- Arba Minch 199 km · 24 °C74 °F · 1,173 mm46 in
- Dila 215 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,503 mm59 in
- Asela 255 km · 16 °C60 °F · 935 mm37 in
- Addis Ababa 259 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,082 mm43 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Jimma?
March is the warmest month in Jimma, with an average high of 28 °C (82 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (60 °F).
What is the coldest month in Jimma?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 22 °C (71 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (57 °F).
When does it rain the most in Jimma?
May is the wettest month with about 261 mm (10.3 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 24 mm (0.9 in).
What is the best time to visit Jimma?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are November–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 1,935 m, while Jimma lies at about 1,719 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.4 °C2.5 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.