Ponce climate
Ponce (Puerto Rico) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C81 °F, and about 899 mm35 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Ponce climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2883 | 2373 | 2678 | 411.6 |
| Feb | 2984 | 2373 | 2678 | 291.1 |
| Mar | 2985 | 2374 | 2679 | 401.6 |
| Apr | 3086 | 2475 | 2781 | 732.9 |
| May | 3086 | 2577 | 2882 | 893.5 |
| Jun | 3087 | 2679 | 2883 | 662.6 |
| Jul | 3187 | 2679 | 2883 | 803.1 |
| Aug | 3188 | 2679 | 2984 | 963.8 |
| Sep | 3187 | 2680 | 2983 | 1094.3 |
| Oct | 3086 | 2679 | 2883 | 1114.4 |
| Nov | 2985 | 2577 | 2781 | 1104.3 |
| Dec | 2883 | 2475 | 2679 | 542.1 |
| Year | 3188 | 2373 | 2781 | 89935 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77% | 63% | 4.3 | 11:09 |
| Feb | 74% | 61% | 5.0 | 11:32 |
| Mar | 72% | 63% | 5.5 | 11:00 |
| Apr | 73% | 64% | 5.9 | 12:32 |
| May | 76% | 74% | 5.7 | 12:58 |
| Jun | 77% | 72% | 5.9 | 13:12 |
| Jul | 77% | 67% | 5.9 | 13:06 |
| Aug | 78% | 66% | 5.8 | 12:44 |
| Sep | 78% | 68% | 5.4 | 12:13 |
| Oct | 79% | 67% | 4.9 | 11:42 |
| Nov | 80% | 65% | 4.3 | 11:16 |
| Dec | 79% | 61% | 4.1 | 11:03 |
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 Ponce is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 31 °C88 °F and a low of 26 °C79 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 28 °C83 °F and lows 23 °C73 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 3.1 °C5.5 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 899 mm35 in. The wettest three-month stretch is September–November, which brings 37% of the annual total. The wettest month is October (111 mm4.4 in), the driest is February (29 mm1.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 72% in March to 80% in November. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 61%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 11 km/h (7 mph) in September to 15 km/h (10 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 11.1 hours in December to 13.2 hours in June.
Best time to visit Ponce
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December–March: average highs of 28 °C83 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 29 mm1.1 in to 54 mm2.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is September, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C87 °F 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 Ponce
- Wetter months (May, July–November) — highs 2985 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 2577 to 26 °C80 °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, June) — highs 2883 to 30 °C87 °F, lows 2373 to 26 °C79 °F, about 51 mm2.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Ponce compares
Compared with San Juan, about 75 km to the northeast, Ponce has practically the same average temperature and receives 26% less precipitation (899 mm35 in vs 1,207 mm48 in).
Of the 3 places in Puerto Rico covered by World Climates, Ponce is the warmest by annual mean temperature and the 3rd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Puerto Rico climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Charlotte Amalie (U.S. Virgin Islands, Aw), Plymouth (Montserrat, Aw) and Saint Johns (Antigua and Barbuda, Aw).
Nearby places
- San Juan 75 km · 27 °C81 °F · 1,207 mm48 in
- Carolina 82 km · 27 °C81 °F · 1,207 mm48 in
- Charlotte Amalie 183 km · 27 °C81 °F · 1,002 mm39 in
- Punta Cana 198 km · 27 °C81 °F · 649 mm26 in
- Road Town 217 km · 27 °C81 °F · 646 mm25 in
- La Romana 252 km · 28 °C82 °F · 609 mm24 in
- San Pedro de Macorís 288 km · 27 °C81 °F · 605 mm24 in
- Santo Domingo 349 km · 27 °C81 °F · 581 mm23 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Ponce?
August is the warmest month in Ponce, with an average high of 31 °C (88 °F) and an average low of 26 °C (79 °F).
What is the coldest month in Ponce?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 28 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (73 °F).
When does it rain the most in Ponce?
October is the wettest month with about 111 mm (4.4 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 29 mm (1.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Ponce?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December–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 158 m, while Ponce lies at about 15 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.9 °C1.7 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.