Loja climate

Ecuador · 3.99°S, 79.20°W · elevation 2,060 m · population 274,112

Warmest month
September
high 24 °C75 °F
Coldest month
July
low 10 °C51 °F
Wettest month
March
105 mm4.1 in
Best time to visit
April–January
by our comfort score
Annual precipitation
632 mm25 in
September driest
Year average
17 °C62 °F
temperate oceanic (Cfb)

Loja (Ecuador) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 17 °C62 °F, and about 632 mm25 in of precipitation falls in an average year.

Temperature by month

Average highAverage low
5°10°15°20°25°50°60°70°JFMAMJJASOND24°75°10°51°January: high 22 °C / 72 °F, low 12 °C / 53 °FFebruary: high 21 °C / 71 °F, low 12 °C / 54 °FMarch: high 21 °C / 70 °F, low 12 °C / 54 °FApril: high 22 °C / 71 °F, low 12 °C / 53 °FMay: high 22 °C / 71 °F, low 11 °C / 52 °FJune: high 21 °C / 70 °F, low 11 °C / 51 °FJuly: high 22 °C / 71 °F, low 10 °C / 51 °FAugust: high 23 °C / 73 °F, low 11 °C / 51 °FSeptember: high 24 °C / 75 °F, low 11 °C / 52 °FOctober: high 23 °C / 74 °F, low 11 °C / 52 °FNovember: high 23 °C / 73 °F, low 11 °C / 52 °FDecember: high 22 °C / 72 °F, low 11 °C / 52 °F

Precipitation by month

Precipitation per month (mminches)
025507510012501234JJanuary: 65 mm / 2.6 inFFebruary: 101 mm / 4.0 inMMarch: 105 mm / 4.1 inAApril: 68 mm / 2.7 inMMay: 41 mm / 1.6 inJJune: 35 mm / 1.4 inJJuly: 28 mm / 1.1 inAAugust: 21 mm / 0.8 inSSeptember: 21 mm / 0.8 inOOctober: 43 mm / 1.7 inNNovember: 49 mm / 1.9 inDDecember: 56 mm / 2.2 in1054.1

Loja climate table

Monthly averages, 2001–2025
MonthHigh °C°FLow °C°FMean °C°FPrecip. mmin
Jan227212531762652.6
Feb2171125417621014.0
Mar2170125417621054.1
Apr227112531762682.7
May227111521762411.6
Jun217011511661351.4
Jul227110511661281.1
Aug237311511762210.8
Sep247511521763210.8
Oct237411521763431.7
Nov237311521762491.9
Dec227211521762562.2
Year24751051176263225

“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.

Humidity, cloud, sun and daylight
MonthHumid.CloudSolarDaylight
Jan76%81%3.912:20
Feb79%86%3.712:14
Mar81%85%3.912:08
Apr79%78%4.012:01
May76%71%3.911:56
Jun73%67%3.711:53
Jul70%66%3.911:55
Aug67%64%4.211:59
Sep66%67%4.412:05
Oct69%76%4.412:12
Nov71%76%4.512:18
Dec74%80%4.012:21

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 Loja is like

The warmest month is September, with an average high of 24 °C75 °F and a low of 11 °C52 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 22 °C71 °F and lows 10 °C51 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 1.4 °C2.6 °F.

Annual precipitation is moderate at about 632 mm25 in. The wettest three-month stretch is February–April, which brings 43% of the annual total. The wettest month is March (105 mm4.1 in), the driest is September (21 mm0.8 in).

Relative humidity ranges from 66% in September to 81% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 64%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (3 mph) in March to 10 km/h (6 mph) in July.

Best time to visit Loja

Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–January. Average highs then reach 21 °C70 °F to 24 °C75 °F. Precipitation is 21 mm0.8 in to 68 mm2.7 in per month.

Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means 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 Loja

  • Wetter months (December–April) — highs 2170 to 22 °C72 °F, lows 1152 to 12 °C54 °F, about 79 mm3.1 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 (May–November) — highs 2170 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 1051 to 11 °C52 °F, about 34 mm1.3 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.

How Loja compares

The nearest larger place is Machala, about 117 km to the northwest. Compared with it, Loja is on average 10.8 °C19.4 °F cooler. It receives 26% more precipitation (632 mm25 in vs 501 mm20 in). The difference is largest in June (11.5 °C20.7 °F cooler).

World Climates covers 16 places in Ecuador. By annual mean temperature, Loja is the 10th warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 13th wettest. See all of them on the Ecuador climate page.

Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall (with seasons shifted for the other hemisphere). The closest matches are Asela (Ethiopia, Cwb), Huaraz (Peru, BSk) and Xico (Mexico, Cwb).

Nearby places

All places in Ecuador

Frequently asked questions

What is the warmest month in Loja?

September is the warmest month in Loja. Its average high is 24 °C (75 °F) and its average low is 11 °C (52 °F).

What is the coldest month in Loja?

July is the coldest month. Its average high is 22 °C (71 °F) and its average low is 10 °C (51 °F).

When does it rain the most in Loja?

March is the wettest month with about 105 mm (4.1 in) of precipitation. September is the driest with about 21 mm (0.8 in).

What is the best time to visit Loja?

Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–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. The gaps are largest 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 1,872 m, while Loja lies at about 2,060 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −1.2 °C2.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.

Sources and method