Santa Maria climate
Santa Maria (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 19 °C67 °F, and about 1,692 mm67 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Santa Maria climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3187 | 1966 | 2577 | 1606.3 | 0 |
| Feb | 3087 | 1966 | 2576 | 1164.6 | 0 |
| Mar | 2984 | 1763 | 2373 | 1295.1 | 0 |
| Apr | 2578 | 1458 | 2068 | 1335.2 | 0 |
| May | 2170 | 1152 | 1661 | 1305.1 | 0 |
| Jun | 1966 | 948 | 1457 | 1164.6 | 1 |
| Jul | 1865 | 846 | 1356 | 1315.1 | 2 |
| Aug | 2169 | 949 | 1559 | 1144.5 | 0 |
| Sep | 2272 | 1152 | 1762 | 1566.1 | 0 |
| Oct | 2577 | 1356 | 1967 | 2078.2 | 0 |
| Nov | 2781 | 1559 | 2170 | 1485.8 | 0 |
| Dec | 3086 | 1763 | 2474 | 1536.0 | 0 |
| Year | 3187 | 846 | 1967 | 1,69267 | 3 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77% | 54% | 6.6 | 13:51 |
| Feb | 76% | 53% | 6.1 | 13:10 |
| Mar | 78% | 49% | 5.2 | 12:21 |
| Apr | 81% | 49% | 4.1 | 11:24 |
| May | 85% | 56% | 3.0 | 10:39 |
| Jun | 87% | 59% | 2.5 | 10:15 |
| Jul | 86% | 54% | 2.8 | 10:25 |
| Aug | 84% | 50% | 3.5 | 11:04 |
| Sep | 83% | 57% | 4.1 | 11:58 |
| Oct | 82% | 58% | 5.1 | 12:52 |
| Nov | 79% | 50% | 6.4 | 13:40 |
| Dec | 76% | 51% | 6.9 | 14:02 |
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 Santa Maria is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 31 °C87 °F and a low of 19 °C66 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 18 °C65 °F and lows 8 °C46 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 11.6 °C20.8 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,692 mm67 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is October (207 mm8.2 in), the driest is August (114 mm4.5 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 76% in December to 87% in June. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 49%) are typical of April. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 2 km/h (2 mph) in April to 3 km/h (2 mph) in August. Daylight lasts from about 10.2 hours in June to 14.0 hours in December.
Best time to visit Santa Maria
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and June and August: average highs of 19 °C66 °F to 21 °C70 °F with 114 mm4.5 in to 130 mm5.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is October, which is very wet (207 mm8.2 in) and humid (82% 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 Santa Maria
- Summer (December–February) — highs 3086 to 31 °C87 °F, lows 1763 to 19 °C66 °F, about 143 mm5.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2170 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 1152 to 17 °C63 °F, about 131 mm5.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 1865 to 21 °C69 °F, lows 846 to 9 °C49 °F, about 120 mm4.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 2272 to 27 °C81 °F, lows 1152 to 15 °C59 °F, about 170 mm6.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Santa Maria compares
Compared with Porto Alegre, about 251 km to the east, Santa Maria has practically the same average temperature and receives 17% more precipitation (1,692 mm67 in vs 1,446 mm57 in). The difference is largest in December (0.6 °C1.1 °F warmer).
Of the 223 places in Brazil covered by World Climates, Santa Maria is the 209th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 26th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Brazil climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Concordia (Argentina, Cfa), Salto (Uruguay, Cfa) and Buenos Aires (Argentina, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Santa Cruz do Sul 133 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,590 mm63 in
- Bagé 185 km · 17 °C63 °F · 1,481 mm58 in
- Passo Fundo 209 km · 17 °C63 °F · 1,722 mm68 in
- Porto Alegre 251 km · 19 °C67 °F · 1,446 mm57 in
- Canoas 254 km · 19 °C67 °F · 1,446 mm57 in
- Novo Hamburgo 259 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,574 mm62 in
- Caxias do Sul 261 km · 16 °C61 °F · 1,667 mm66 in
- Pelotas 271 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,343 mm53 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Santa Maria?
January is the warmest month in Santa Maria, with an average high of 31 °C (87 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (66 °F).
What is the coldest month in Santa Maria?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 18 °C (65 °F) and an average low of 8 °C (46 °F).
When does it rain the most in Santa Maria?
October is the wettest month with about 207 mm (8.2 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 114 mm (4.5 in).
What is the best time to visit Santa Maria?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and June and August.
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 287 m, while Santa Maria lies at about 146 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.9 °C1.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.