Tunja climate

Colombia · 5.54°N, 73.36°W · elevation 2,693 m · population 172,548

Warmest month
March
high 17 °C63 °F
Coldest month
July
low 8 °C46 °F
Wettest month
May
239 mm9.4 in
Best time to visit
January and February
by our comfort score
Annual precipitation
1,787 mm70 in
January driest
Year average
12 °C54 °F
temperate oceanic (Cfb)

Tunja (Colombia) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 12 °C54 °F, and about 1,787 mm70 in of precipitation falls in an average year.

Temperature by month

Average highAverage low
5°10°15°20°50°60°JFMAMJJASOND18°64°7°45°January: high 17 °C / 62 °F, low 8 °C / 46 °FFebruary: high 18 °C / 64 °F, low 8 °C / 46 °FMarch: high 17 °C / 63 °F, low 9 °C / 48 °FApril: high 17 °C / 62 °F, low 9 °C / 48 °FMay: high 16 °C / 61 °F, low 9 °C / 48 °FJune: high 15 °C / 59 °F, low 8 °C / 46 °FJuly: high 15 °C / 59 °F, low 8 °C / 46 °FAugust: high 15 °C / 60 °F, low 7 °C / 45 °FSeptember: high 16 °C / 61 °F, low 8 °C / 46 °FOctober: high 16 °C / 61 °F, low 8 °C / 47 °FNovember: high 16 °C / 61 °F, low 9 °C / 48 °FDecember: high 16 °C / 62 °F, low 8 °C / 47 °F

Precipitation by month

Precipitation per month (mminches)
05010015020025002468JJanuary: 38 mm / 1.5 inFFebruary: 56 mm / 2.2 inMMarch: 129 mm / 5.1 inAApril: 212 mm / 8.4 inMMay: 239 mm / 9.4 inJJune: 193 mm / 7.6 inJJuly: 173 mm / 6.8 inAAugust: 149 mm / 5.9 inSSeptember: 130 mm / 5.1 inOOctober: 203 mm / 8.0 inNNovember: 175 mm / 6.9 inDDecember: 91 mm / 3.6 in2399.4

Tunja climate table

Monthly averages, 2001–2025
MonthHigh °C°FLow °C°FMean °C°FPrecip. mmin
Jan17628461254381.5
Feb18648461355562.2
Mar176394813551295.1
Apr176294813552128.4
May166194812542399.4
Jun155984612531937.6
Jul155984611521736.8
Aug156074511531495.9
Sep166184612531305.1
Oct166184712542038.0
Nov166194813551756.9
Dec16628471254913.6
Year186474512541,78770

“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.

Humidity, cloud, sun and daylight
MonthHumid.CloudSolarDaylight
Jan85%61%5.111:50
Feb82%67%5.111:56
Mar84%80%4.512:05
Apr88%88%4.212:14
May89%87%4.312:22
Jun89%84%4.312:26
Jul89%80%4.312:25
Aug88%81%4.312:18
Sep86%80%4.612:08
Oct88%83%4.511:59
Nov89%78%4.511:52
Dec88%66%4.711:48

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 Tunja is like

The warmest month is March, with an average high of 17 °C63 °F and a low of 9 °C48 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 15 °C59 °F and lows 8 °C46 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 1.8 °C3.2 °F.

It is wet, with about 1,787 mm70 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is April–June, which brings 36% of the annual total. The wettest month is May (239 mm9.4 in), the driest is January (38 mm1.5 in).

Relative humidity ranges from 82% in February to 89% in June. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 61%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (3 mph) in November to 6 km/h (4 mph) in July.

Best time to visit Tunja

Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are January and February. Average highs then reach 17 °C62 °F to 18 °C64 °F. Precipitation is 38 mm1.5 in to 56 mm2.2 in per month.

The most challenging month is May, which is very wet (239 mm9.4 in).

Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means 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 Tunja

  • Wetter months (April–August, October and November) — highs 1559 to 17 °C62 °F, lows 745 to 9 °C48 °F, about 192 mm7.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
  • Drier months (December–March, September) — highs 1661 to 18 °C64 °F, lows 846 to 9 °C48 °F, about 89 mm3.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.

How Tunja compares

The nearest larger place is Bogotá, about 131 km to the southwest. Compared with it, Tunja is on average 1.4 °C2.5 °F cooler. It receives 10% more precipitation (1,787 mm70 in vs 1,624 mm64 in). The difference is largest in September (1.9 °C3.4 °F cooler).

World Climates covers 48 places in Colombia. By annual mean temperature, Tunja is the 48th warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 11th wettest. See all of them on the Colombia climate page.

Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall (with seasons shifted for the other hemisphere). The closest matches are Riobamba (Ecuador, Cfb), Latacunga (Ecuador, Cfb) and Quito (Ecuador, Cfb).

Nearby places

All places in Colombia

Frequently asked questions

What is the warmest month in Tunja?

March is the warmest month in Tunja. Its average high is 17 °C (63 °F) and its average low is 9 °C (48 °F).

What is the coldest month in Tunja?

July is the coldest month. Its average high is 15 °C (59 °F) and its average low is 8 °C (46 °F).

When does it rain the most in Tunja?

May is the wettest month with about 239 mm (9.4 in) of precipitation. January is the driest with about 38 mm (1.5 in).

What is the best time to visit Tunja?

Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are January and February.

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. The gaps are largest 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 2,557 m, while Tunja lies at about 2,693 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.

Sources and method