Matagalpa climate
Matagalpa (Nicaragua) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C74 °F, and about 1,196 mm47 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Matagalpa climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2780 | 1763 | 2271 | 80.3 |
| Feb | 2883 | 1763 | 2373 | 70.3 |
| Mar | 3187 | 1864 | 2476 | 100.4 |
| Apr | 3289 | 2067 | 2678 | 301.2 |
| May | 3085 | 2068 | 2577 | 1666.5 |
| Jun | 2780 | 2068 | 2374 | 1967.7 |
| Jul | 2780 | 2067 | 2374 | 1124.4 |
| Aug | 2781 | 2068 | 2374 | 1395.5 |
| Sep | 2679 | 2067 | 2373 | 2359.3 |
| Oct | 2678 | 1967 | 2272 | 2258.9 |
| Nov | 2578 | 1865 | 2271 | 491.9 |
| Dec | 2678 | 1864 | 2271 | 180.7 |
| Year | 3289 | 1763 | 2374 | 1,19647 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76% | 48% | 4.6 | 11:26 |
| Feb | 69% | 46% | 5.1 | 11:42 |
| Mar | 62% | 38% | 5.9 | 12:02 |
| Apr | 61% | 53% | 5.8 | 12:24 |
| May | 73% | 75% | 5.0 | 12:43 |
| Jun | 85% | 81% | 4.6 | 12:53 |
| Jul | 84% | 80% | 4.4 | 12:49 |
| Aug | 84% | 79% | 4.7 | 12:33 |
| Sep | 88% | 76% | 5.0 | 12:11 |
| Oct | 89% | 76% | 4.6 | 11:49 |
| Nov | 85% | 60% | 4.6 | 11:31 |
| Dec | 82% | 50% | 4.4 | 11:22 |
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 Matagalpa is like
The warmest month is April, with an average high of 32 °C89 °F and a low of 20 °C67 °F. The coldest is December, when highs average 26 °C78 °F and lows 18 °C64 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 4.1 °C7.4 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,196 mm47 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is August–October, which brings 50% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: December–March. The wettest month is September (235 mm9.3 in), the driest is February (7 mm0.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 61% in April to 89% in October. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 38%) are typical of March. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 3 km/h (2 mph) in September to 5 km/h (3 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 11.4 hours in December to 12.9 hours in June.
Best time to visit Matagalpa
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December–February: average highs of 26 °C78 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 7 mm0.3 in to 18 mm0.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is September, which is very wet (235 mm9.3 in) and humid (88% 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 Matagalpa
- Wetter months (May–October) — highs 2678 to 30 °C85 °F, lows 1967 to 20 °C68 °F, about 179 mm7.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (November–April) — highs 2578 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 1763 to 20 °C67 °F, about 20 mm0.8 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 Matagalpa compares
Compared with Managua, about 95 km to the south, Matagalpa is on average 4.6 °C8.2 °F cooler and receives 18% less precipitation (1,196 mm47 in vs 1,453 mm57 in). The difference is largest in January (5.4 °C9.7 °F cooler).
Of the 5 places in Nicaragua covered by World Climates, Matagalpa is the 5th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 5th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Nicaragua climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Tegucigalpa (Honduras, Aw), Danlí (Honduras, Aw) and Bảo Lộc (Vietnam, Aw).
Nearby places
- Managua 95 km · 28 °C82 °F · 1,453 mm57 in
- Masaya 108 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,453 mm57 in
- León 118 km · 28 °C83 °F · 1,451 mm57 in
- Chinandega 136 km · 29 °C83 °F · 1,451 mm57 in
- Danlí 142 km · 24 °C75 °F · 1,122 mm44 in
- Tegucigalpa 189 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,167 mm46 in
- Catacamas 214 km · 25 °C76 °F · 1,204 mm47 in
- Upala 246 km · 27 °C81 °F · 1,466 mm58 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Matagalpa?
April is the warmest month in Matagalpa, with an average high of 32 °C (89 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (67 °F).
What is the coldest month in Matagalpa?
December is the coldest month, with an average high of 26 °C (78 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (64 °F).
When does it rain the most in Matagalpa?
September is the wettest month with about 235 mm (9.3 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 7 mm (0.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Matagalpa?
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 588 m, while Matagalpa lies at about 689 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −0.7 °C1.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.