Matanzas climate
Matanzas (Cuba) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C80 °F, and about 608 mm24 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Matanzas climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2781 | 1965 | 2373 | 190.7 |
| Feb | 2984 | 1966 | 2475 | 240.9 |
| Mar | 3086 | 2068 | 2577 | 170.7 |
| Apr | 3290 | 2271 | 2781 | 241.0 |
| May | 3391 | 2475 | 2883 | 592.3 |
| Jun | 3391 | 2577 | 2984 | 863.4 |
| Jul | 3392 | 2678 | 3085 | 722.8 |
| Aug | 3392 | 2678 | 3085 | 883.5 |
| Sep | 3290 | 2578 | 2984 | 853.4 |
| Oct | 3188 | 2475 | 2882 | 742.9 |
| Nov | 2984 | 2171 | 2577 | 361.4 |
| Dec | 2883 | 2068 | 2475 | 230.9 |
| Year | 3392 | 1965 | 2780 | 60824 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 72% | 58% | 3.7 | 10:52 |
| Feb | 70% | 48% | 4.7 | 11:21 |
| Mar | 65% | 46% | 5.7 | 11:58 |
| Apr | 63% | 45% | 6.5 | 12:40 |
| May | 65% | 50% | 6.4 | 13:14 |
| Jun | 71% | 65% | 6.1 | 13:33 |
| Jul | 70% | 58% | 6.4 | 13:25 |
| Aug | 71% | 58% | 6.2 | 12:55 |
| Sep | 74% | 61% | 5.5 | 12:15 |
| Oct | 74% | 60% | 4.7 | 11:34 |
| Nov | 73% | 57% | 3.9 | 10:00 |
| Dec | 74% | 55% | 3.6 | 10:43 |
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 Matanzas is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 26 °C78 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 27 °C81 °F and lows 19 °C65 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 6.7 °C12 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 608 mm24 in. The wettest three-month stretch is August–October, which brings 41% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: January and March. The wettest month is August (88 mm3.5 in), the driest is March (17 mm0.7 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 63% in April to 74% in October. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 45%) are typical of April. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 10 km/h (6 mph) in September to 14 km/h (9 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 10.7 hours in December to 13.5 hours in June.
Best time to visit Matanzas
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–February: average highs of 27 °C81 °F to 29 °C84 °F with 19 mm0.7 in to 36 mm1.4 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is August, which is hot, with average highs of 33 °C92 °F.
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 Matanzas
- Wetter months (May–October) — highs 3188 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 2475 to 26 °C78 °F, about 77 mm3.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Drier months (November–April) — highs 2781 to 32 °C90 °F, lows 1965 to 22 °C71 °F, about 24 mm0.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Matanzas compares
Compared with Havana, about 82 km to the west, Matanzas is on average 0.4 °C0.8 °F warmer and receives 18% less precipitation (608 mm24 in vs 742 mm29 in). The difference is largest in September (0.5 °C0.9 °F warmer).
Of the 15 places in Cuba covered by World Climates, Matanzas is the 7th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 10th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Cuba climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Saint-Marc (Haiti, BSh), Campeche (Mexico, Aw) and San Cristóbal (Dominican Republic, BSh).
Nearby places
- Havana 82 km · 26 °C79 °F · 742 mm29 in
- Cienfuegos 153 km · 27 °C81 °F · 540 mm21 in
- Santa Clara 180 km · 26 °C79 °F · 536 mm21 in
- Pinar del Río 228 km · 26 °C79 °F · 813 mm32 in
- Sancti Spíritus 252 km · 26 °C79 °F · 740 mm29 in
- Ciego de Ávila 319 km · 26 °C79 °F · 946 mm37 in
- Miami 335 km · 25 °C78 °F · 1,326 mm52 in
- Fort Lauderdale 372 km · 25 °C78 °F · 1,326 mm52 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Matanzas?
August is the warmest month in Matanzas, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 26 °C (78 °F).
What is the coldest month in Matanzas?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 27 °C (81 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (65 °F).
When does it rain the most in Matanzas?
August is the wettest month with about 88 mm (3.5 in) of precipitation; March is the driest with about 17 mm (0.7 in).
What is the best time to visit Matanzas?
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 52 m, while Matanzas lies at about 1 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.3 °C0.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.