Maicao climate
Maicao (Colombia) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 28 °C83 °F, and about 675 mm27 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Maicao climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3289 | 2272 | 2781 | 60.3 |
| Feb | 3391 | 2272 | 2882 | 50.2 |
| Mar | 3493 | 2374 | 2883 | 140.6 |
| Apr | 3494 | 2476 | 2985 | 281.1 |
| May | 3392 | 2577 | 2984 | 853.3 |
| Jun | 3392 | 2577 | 2984 | 582.3 |
| Jul | 3493 | 2577 | 2985 | 351.4 |
| Aug | 3493 | 2577 | 2985 | 552.2 |
| Sep | 3391 | 2577 | 2984 | 1054.1 |
| Oct | 3188 | 2476 | 2882 | 1536.0 |
| Nov | 3188 | 2475 | 2882 | 943.7 |
| Dec | 3189 | 2374 | 2781 | 351.4 |
| Year | 3494 | 2272 | 2883 | 67527 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69% | 31% | 5.3 | 11:31 |
| Feb | 65% | 33% | 5.8 | 11:45 |
| Mar | 63% | 49% | 5.8 | 12:02 |
| Apr | 64% | 67% | 5.6 | 12:22 |
| May | 70% | 73% | 5.4 | 12:39 |
| Jun | 70% | 62% | 5.8 | 12:47 |
| Jul | 68% | 57% | 6.1 | 12:44 |
| Aug | 70% | 60% | 6.0 | 12:30 |
| Sep | 74% | 68% | 5.6 | 12:10 |
| Oct | 80% | 73% | 5.1 | 11:51 |
| Nov | 78% | 63% | 4.7 | 11:35 |
| Dec | 73% | 42% | 4.9 | 11:28 |
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 Maicao is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 34 °C93 °F and a low of 25 °C77 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 32 °C89 °F and lows 22 °C72 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 2.3 °C4.2 °F.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 675 mm27 in. The wettest three-month stretch is September–November, which brings 52% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: January–March. The wettest month is October (153 mm6.0 in), the driest is February (5 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 63% in March to 80% in October. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 31%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in October to 11 km/h (7 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 11.5 hours in December to 12.8 hours in June.
Best time to visit Maicao
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December and January: average highs of 31 °C89 °F to 32 °C89 °F with 6 mm0.3 in to 35 mm1.4 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is October, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C88 °F, very wet (153 mm6.0 in) and humid (80% relative humidity).
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 Maicao
- Wetter months (May and June, September–November) — highs 3188 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 2475 to 25 °C77 °F, about 99 mm3.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (December–April, July and August) — highs 3189 to 34 °C94 °F, lows 2272 to 25 °C77 °F, about 26 mm1.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Maicao compares
Compared with Riohacha, about 75 km to the west, Maicao is on average 0.6 °C1 °F warmer and receives 28% less precipitation (675 mm27 in vs 931 mm37 in). The difference is largest in March (1.4 °C2.5 °F warmer).
Of the 48 places in Colombia covered by World Climates, Maicao is the 6th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 48th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Colombia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Maracaibo (Venezuela, BSh), Machiques (Venezuela, Aw) and Punto Fijo (Venezuela, BSh).
Nearby places
- Riohacha 75 km · 28 °C82 °F · 931 mm37 in
- Maracaibo 107 km · 29 °C84 °F · 678 mm27 in
- Cabimas 139 km · 30 °C86 °F · 704 mm28 in
- Valledupar 150 km · 28 °C83 °F · 718 mm28 in
- Machiques 150 km · 29 °C84 °F · 781 mm31 in
- Ciudad Ojeda 165 km · 29 °C85 °F · 876 mm34 in
- Santa Marta 214 km · 29 °C84 °F · 847 mm33 in
- Punto Fijo 225 km · 28 °C83 °F · 599 mm24 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Maicao?
August is the warmest month in Maicao, with an average high of 34 °C (93 °F) and an average low of 25 °C (77 °F).
What is the coldest month in Maicao?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 32 °C (89 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (72 °F).
When does it rain the most in Maicao?
October is the wettest month with about 153 mm (6.0 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 5 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Maicao?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December and 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.