Ouahigouya climate
Ouahigouya (Burkina Faso) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 28 °C83 °F, and about 738 mm29 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Ouahigouya climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3289 | 1558 | 2374 | 10.0 |
| Feb | 3596 | 1864 | 2780 | 00.0 |
| Mar | 39102 | 2271 | 3087 | 10.0 |
| Apr | 41106 | 2678 | 3392 | 100.4 |
| May | 40104 | 2781 | 3493 | 331.3 |
| Jun | 3799 | 2679 | 3189 | 1003.9 |
| Jul | 3391 | 2475 | 2883 | 1837.2 |
| Aug | 3086 | 2373 | 2680 | 2519.9 |
| Sep | 3188 | 2272 | 2780 | 1285.0 |
| Oct | 3493 | 2271 | 2882 | 301.2 |
| Nov | 3594 | 1864 | 2679 | 10.0 |
| Dec | 3391 | 1560 | 2475 | 00.0 |
| Year | 41106 | 1558 | 2883 | 73829 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18% | 27% | 5.6 | 11:24 |
| Feb | 15% | 26% | 6.1 | 11:41 |
| Mar | 14% | 44% | 6.5 | 12:01 |
| Apr | 23% | 59% | 6.5 | 12:25 |
| May | 38% | 65% | 6.4 | 12:45 |
| Jun | 52% | 62% | 6.0 | 12:55 |
| Jul | 67% | 65% | 5.9 | 12:51 |
| Aug | 80% | 71% | 5.6 | 12:34 |
| Sep | 79% | 56% | 6.0 | 12:11 |
| Oct | 63% | 42% | 6.0 | 11:48 |
| Nov | 35% | 25% | 5.8 | 11:29 |
| Dec | 24% | 22% | 5.5 | 11:20 |
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 Ouahigouya is like
The warmest month is May, with an average high of 40 °C104 °F and a low of 27 °C81 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 32 °C89 °F and lows 15 °C58 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 10.6 °C19.1 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 738 mm29 in. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 76% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–April. The wettest month is August (251 mm9.9 in), the driest is December (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 14% in March to 80% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 22%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in September to 11 km/h (7 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 11.3 hours in December to 12.9 hours in June.
Best time to visit Ouahigouya
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December and January: average highs of 32 °C89 °F to 33 °C91 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 1 mm0.0 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is April, which is hot, with average highs of 41 °C106 °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 Ouahigouya
- Wetter months (June–September) — highs 3086 to 37 °C99 °F, lows 2272 to 26 °C79 °F, about 166 mm6.5 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 (October–May) — highs 3289 to 41 °C106 °F, lows 1558 to 27 °C81 °F, about 9 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Ouahigouya compares
Compared with Koudougou, about 147 km to the south, Ouahigouya has practically the same average temperature and receives 18% less precipitation (738 mm29 in vs 900 mm35 in). The difference is largest in May (1.3 °C2.4 °F warmer).
Of the 6 places in Burkina Faso covered by World Climates, Ouahigouya is the warmest by annual mean temperature and the 6th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Burkina Faso climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: San (Mali, BSh), Ségou (Mali, BSh) and Sokoto (Nigeria, BSh).
Nearby places
- Koudougou 147 km · 28 °C82 °F · 900 mm35 in
- Kaya 154 km · 27 °C81 °F · 783 mm31 in
- Ouagadougou 165 km · 28 °C82 °F · 818 mm32 in
- Mopti 215 km · 29 °C84 °F · 595 mm23 in
- San 270 km · 28 °C82 °F · 759 mm30 in
- Bobo-Dioulasso 335 km · 26 °C80 °F · 1,115 mm44 in
- Koutiala 356 km · 27 °C81 °F · 928 mm37 in
- Gao 393 km · 30 °C86 °F · 258 mm10 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Ouahigouya?
May is the warmest month in Ouahigouya, with an average high of 40 °C (104 °F) and an average low of 27 °C (81 °F).
What is the coldest month in Ouahigouya?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 32 °C (89 °F) and an average low of 15 °C (58 °F).
When does it rain the most in Ouahigouya?
August is the wettest month with about 251 mm (9.9 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Ouahigouya?
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.