Popayán climate
Popayán (Colombia) has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb). The average temperature over the year is 18 °C65 °F, and about 972 mm38 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Popayán climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2272 | 1356 | 1864 | 622.5 |
| Feb | 2373 | 1457 | 1865 | 672.6 |
| Mar | 2272 | 1457 | 1865 | 963.8 |
| Apr | 2373 | 1457 | 1865 | 1275.0 |
| May | 2373 | 1457 | 1865 | 983.9 |
| Jun | 2374 | 1356 | 1865 | 572.2 |
| Jul | 2475 | 1355 | 1865 | 371.4 |
| Aug | 2476 | 1355 | 1965 | 271.1 |
| Sep | 2475 | 1356 | 1966 | 441.7 |
| Oct | 2373 | 1356 | 1864 | 1174.6 |
| Nov | 2271 | 1456 | 1864 | 1455.7 |
| Dec | 2271 | 1456 | 1864 | 953.8 |
| Year | 2476 | 1355 | 1865 | 97238 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84% | 74% | 4.3 | 11:00 |
| Feb | 83% | 79% | 4.2 | 12:02 |
| Mar | 84% | 87% | 4.0 | 12:06 |
| Apr | 84% | 87% | 4.1 | 12:10 |
| May | 83% | 87% | 4.0 | 12:14 |
| Jun | 80% | 81% | 3.9 | 12:16 |
| Jul | 77% | 79% | 4.0 | 12:15 |
| Aug | 75% | 78% | 4.1 | 12:12 |
| Sep | 77% | 79% | 4.3 | 12:07 |
| Oct | 83% | 85% | 4.2 | 12:03 |
| Nov | 86% | 85% | 4.0 | 12:00 |
| Dec | 86% | 80% | 4.0 | 11:59 |
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 Popayán is like
The warmest month is September, with an average high of 24 °C75 °F and a low of 13 °C56 °F. The coldest is November, when highs average 22 °C71 °F and lows 14 °C56 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 1 °C1.7 °F.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 972 mm38 in. The wettest three-month stretch is October–December, which brings 37% of the annual total. The wettest month is November (145 mm5.7 in), the driest is August (27 mm1.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 75% in August to 86% in November. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 74%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (2 mph) in May to 5 km/h (3 mph) in November.
Best time to visit Popayán
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December–March and May–September: average highs of 22 °C71 °F to 24 °C76 °F with 27 mm1.1 in to 98 mm3.9 in of precipitation per month.
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 Popayán
- Wetter months (March–May, October–December) — highs 2271 to 23 °C73 °F, lows 1356 to 14 °C57 °F, about 113 mm4.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (January and February, June–September) — highs 2272 to 24 °C76 °F, lows 1355 to 14 °C57 °F, about 49 mm1.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Popayán compares
Compared with Cali, about 111 km to the north, Popayán is on average 7 °C12.5 °F cooler and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in March (7.2 °C13 °F cooler).
Of the 48 places in Colombia covered by World Climates, Popayán is the 40th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 42nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Colombia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Nakuru (Kenya, Csb), Ibarra (Ecuador, Csb) and Butembo (DR Congo, Af).
Nearby places
- Pitalito 90 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,134 mm45 in
- Cali 111 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,022 mm40 in
- Buenaventura 134 km · 28 °C82 °F · 1,260 mm50 in
- Providencia 135 km · 22 °C72 °F · 978 mm39 in
- Florencia 145 km · 24 °C75 °F · 1,430 mm56 in
- Pasto 155 km · 13 °C56 °F · 1,038 mm41 in
- Neiva 158 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,316 mm52 in
- Guadalajara de Buga 166 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,309 mm52 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Popayán?
September is the warmest month in Popayán, with an average high of 24 °C (75 °F) and an average low of 13 °C (56 °F).
What is the coldest month in Popayán?
November is the coldest month, with an average high of 22 °C (71 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (56 °F).
When does it rain the most in Popayán?
November is the wettest month with about 145 mm (5.7 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 27 mm (1.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Popayán?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December–March and May–September.
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 1,679 m, while Popayán lies at about 1,760 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −0.5 °C1 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.