Oaxaca climate
Oaxaca (Oaxaca, Mexico) has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa). The average temperature over the year is 19 °C67 °F, and about 979 mm39 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Oaxaca climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2475 | 948 | 1662 | 70.3 |
| Feb | 2781 | 1050 | 1965 | 60.2 |
| Mar | 2985 | 1253 | 2069 | 130.5 |
| Apr | 3188 | 1457 | 2373 | 321.3 |
| May | 2985 | 1560 | 2272 | 732.9 |
| Jun | 2678 | 1560 | 2169 | 1987.8 |
| Jul | 2576 | 1559 | 2068 | 1516.0 |
| Aug | 2576 | 1559 | 2067 | 1696.7 |
| Sep | 2475 | 1559 | 1967 | 2038.0 |
| Oct | 2374 | 1356 | 1865 | 1003.9 |
| Nov | 2373 | 1151 | 1762 | 180.7 |
| Dec | 2474 | 949 | 1762 | 80.3 |
| Year | 3188 | 948 | 1967 | 97939 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68% | 46% | 4.3 | 11:13 |
| Feb | 61% | 40% | 5.0 | 11:34 |
| Mar | 57% | 39% | 5.7 | 12:00 |
| Apr | 55% | 43% | 5.9 | 12:30 |
| May | 64% | 58% | 5.7 | 12:55 |
| Jun | 78% | 76% | 5.3 | 13:08 |
| Jul | 81% | 75% | 5.3 | 13:03 |
| Aug | 82% | 74% | 5.3 | 12:42 |
| Sep | 85% | 80% | 4.6 | 12:12 |
| Oct | 83% | 64% | 4.5 | 11:43 |
| Nov | 79% | 48% | 4.3 | 11:19 |
| Dec | 73% | 43% | 4.3 | 11:07 |
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 Oaxaca is like
The warmest month is April, with an average high of 31 °C88 °F and a low of 14 °C57 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 24 °C75 °F and lows 9 °C48 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 6 °C10.9 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 979 mm39 in. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 54% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–March. The wettest month is September (203 mm8.0 in), the driest is February (6 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 55% in April to 85% in September. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 39%) are typical of March. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in May to 9 km/h (5 mph) in November. Daylight lasts from about 11.1 hours in December to 13.1 hours in June.
Best time to visit Oaxaca
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are October–March: average highs of 23 °C73 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 6 mm0.2 in to 100 mm3.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is June, which is very wet (198 mm7.8 in) and humid (78% 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 Oaxaca
- Wetter months (June–October) — highs 2374 to 26 °C78 °F, lows 1356 to 15 °C60 °F, about 164 mm6.5 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–May) — highs 2373 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 948 to 15 °C60 °F, about 22 mm0.9 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 Oaxaca compares
Compared with Veracruz, about 244 km to the north, Oaxaca is on average 6.4 °C11.5 °F cooler and receives 40% less precipitation (979 mm39 in vs 1,639 mm65 in). The difference is largest in August (7.8 °C14 °F cooler).
Of the 96 places in Mexico covered by World Climates, Oaxaca is the 62nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 32nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Mexico climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Mzuzu (Malawi, Csa), Jalapa (Guatemala, Csa) and Guatemala City (Guatemala, Cwb).
Nearby places
- Tuxtepec 131 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,866 mm73 in
- Huatulco (La Crucecita) 157 km · 29 °C83 °F · 887 mm35 in
- Tehuacán 172 km · 18 °C65 °F · 921 mm36 in
- Orizaba 203 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,402 mm55 in
- Córdoba 204 km · 21 °C71 °F · 1,402 mm55 in
- Veracruz 244 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,639 mm65 in
- Coatzacoalcos 270 km · 26 °C78 °F · 2,290 mm90 in
- Puebla 271 km · 17 °C62 °F · 877 mm35 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Oaxaca?
April is the warmest month in Oaxaca, with an average high of 31 °C (88 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (57 °F).
What is the coldest month in Oaxaca?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 24 °C (75 °F) and an average low of 9 °C (48 °F).
When does it rain the most in Oaxaca?
September is the wettest month with about 203 mm (8.0 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 6 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Oaxaca?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are October–March.
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 1,953 m, while Oaxaca lies at about 1,571 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +2.5 °C4.5 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.