Riobamba climate
Riobamba (Ecuador) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 13 °C55 °F, and about 1,398 mm55 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Riobamba climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1864 | 947 | 1355 | 1244.9 |
| Feb | 1763 | 948 | 1355 | 1465.7 |
| Mar | 1763 | 948 | 1355 | 1626.4 |
| Apr | 1763 | 948 | 1355 | 1626.4 |
| May | 1763 | 847 | 1355 | 1295.1 |
| Jun | 1662 | 745 | 1253 | 1114.4 |
| Jul | 1762 | 744 | 1253 | 893.5 |
| Aug | 1763 | 643 | 1253 | 753.0 |
| Sep | 1864 | 744 | 1254 | 662.6 |
| Oct | 1864 | 846 | 1355 | 1094.3 |
| Nov | 1864 | 847 | 1355 | 1134.4 |
| Dec | 1864 | 847 | 1355 | 1124.4 |
| Year | 1864 | 643 | 1355 | 1,39855 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86% | 79% | 4.0 | 12:12 |
| Feb | 87% | 85% | 3.7 | 12:10 |
| Mar | 88% | 87% | 3.6 | 12:07 |
| Apr | 87% | 82% | 3.8 | 12:05 |
| May | 87% | 77% | 3.7 | 12:03 |
| Jun | 85% | 74% | 3.6 | 12:02 |
| Jul | 83% | 72% | 3.7 | 12:02 |
| Aug | 81% | 72% | 4.0 | 12:04 |
| Sep | 80% | 73% | 4.2 | 12:06 |
| Oct | 82% | 79% | 4.3 | 12:09 |
| Nov | 83% | 79% | 4.3 | 12:12 |
| Dec | 85% | 81% | 3.9 | 12:13 |
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 Riobamba is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 17 °C63 °F and a low of 9 °C48 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 17 °C62 °F and lows 7 °C44 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 1.5 °C2.7 °F.
It is wet, with about 1,398 mm55 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is February–April, which brings 34% of the annual total. The wettest month is April (162 mm6.4 in), the driest is September (66 mm2.6 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 80% in September to 88% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 72%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (3 mph) in March to 11 km/h (7 mph) in August.
Best time to visit Riobamba
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are August and September: average highs of 17 °C63 °F to 18 °C64 °F with 66 mm2.6 in to 75 mm3.0 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is March, which is very wet (162 mm6.4 in).
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 Riobamba
- Wetter months (January–May) — highs 1763 to 18 °C64 °F, lows 847 to 9 °C48 °F, about 145 mm5.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (June–December) — highs 1662 to 18 °C64 °F, lows 643 to 8 °C47 °F, about 97 mm3.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Riobamba compares
Compared with Ambato, about 46 km to the north, Riobamba is on average 1.3 °C2.3 °F cooler and receives 12% more precipitation (1,398 mm55 in vs 1,253 mm49 in). The difference is largest in August (1.4 °C2.5 °F cooler).
Of the 16 places in Ecuador covered by World Climates, Riobamba is the 15th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 2nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Ecuador climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Zipaquirá (Colombia, Cfb), Chía (Colombia, Cfb) and Tunja (Colombia, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Ambato 46 km · 14 °C57 °F · 1,253 mm49 in
- Latacunga 81 km · 13 °C55 °F · 1,253 mm49 in
- Quevedo 114 km · 28 °C82 °F · 1,257 mm50 in
- Milagro 116 km · 29 °C83 °F · 912 mm36 in
- Cuenca 142 km · 13 °C56 °F · 986 mm39 in
- Daule 148 km · 28 °C82 °F · 771 mm30 in
- Guayaquil 149 km · 28 °C82 °F · 771 mm30 in
- Quito 160 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,180 mm46 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Riobamba?
February is the warmest month in Riobamba, with an average high of 17 °C (63 °F) and an average low of 9 °C (48 °F).
What is the coldest month in Riobamba?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 17 °C (62 °F) and an average low of 7 °C (44 °F).
When does it rain the most in Riobamba?
April is the wettest month with about 162 mm (6.4 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 66 mm (2.6 in).
What is the best time to visit Riobamba?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are August and 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 3,003 m, while Riobamba lies at about 2,777 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.5 °C2.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.