Loja climate
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
Precipitation by month
Loja climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2272 | 1253 | 1762 | 652.6 |
| Feb | 2171 | 1254 | 1762 | 1014.0 |
| Mar | 2170 | 1254 | 1762 | 1054.1 |
| Apr | 2271 | 1253 | 1762 | 682.7 |
| May | 2271 | 1152 | 1762 | 411.6 |
| Jun | 2170 | 1151 | 1661 | 351.4 |
| Jul | 2271 | 1051 | 1661 | 281.1 |
| Aug | 2373 | 1151 | 1762 | 210.8 |
| Sep | 2475 | 1152 | 1763 | 210.8 |
| Oct | 2374 | 1152 | 1763 | 431.7 |
| Nov | 2373 | 1152 | 1762 | 491.9 |
| Dec | 2272 | 1152 | 1762 | 562.2 |
| Year | 2475 | 1051 | 1762 | 63225 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76% | 81% | 3.9 | 12:20 |
| Feb | 79% | 86% | 3.7 | 12:14 |
| Mar | 81% | 85% | 3.9 | 12:08 |
| Apr | 79% | 78% | 4.0 | 12:01 |
| May | 76% | 71% | 3.9 | 11:56 |
| Jun | 73% | 67% | 3.7 | 11:53 |
| Jul | 70% | 66% | 3.9 | 11:55 |
| Aug | 67% | 64% | 4.2 | 11:59 |
| Sep | 66% | 67% | 4.4 | 12:05 |
| Oct | 69% | 76% | 4.4 | 12:12 |
| Nov | 71% | 76% | 4.5 | 12:18 |
| Dec | 74% | 80% | 4.0 | 12:21 |
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 of 21 °C70 °F to 24 °C75 °F with 21 mm0.8 in to 68 mm2.7 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 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
Compared with Machala, about 117 km to the northwest, Loja is on average 10.8 °C19.4 °F cooler and receives 26% more precipitation (632 mm25 in vs 501 mm20 in). The difference is largest in June (11.5 °C20.7 °F cooler).
Of the 16 places in Ecuador covered by World Climates, Loja is the 10th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 13th 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): Asela (Ethiopia, Cwb), Huaraz (Peru, BSk) and Xico (Mexico, Cwb).
Nearby places
- Machala 117 km · 27 °C81 °F · 501 mm20 in
- Cuenca 124 km · 13 °C56 °F · 986 mm39 in
- Sullana 193 km · 26 °C79 °F · 139 mm5.5 in
- Piura 208 km · 26 °C79 °F · 139 mm5.5 in
- Milagro 211 km · 29 °C83 °F · 912 mm36 in
- Guayaquil 214 km · 28 °C82 °F · 771 mm30 in
- Daule 252 km · 28 °C82 °F · 771 mm30 in
- Riobamba 266 km · 13 °C55 °F · 1,398 mm55 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Loja?
September is the warmest month in Loja, with an average high of 24 °C (75 °F) and an average low of 11 °C (52 °F).
What is the coldest month in Loja?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 22 °C (71 °F) and an average low of 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 — 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 1,872 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.