Dominican Republic climate

World Climates covers 9 places in the Dominican Republic. By annual mean temperature, the warmest is La Romana (28 °C82 °F) and the coolest is Santiago de los Caballeros (26 °C78 °F). The wettest is Puerto Plata with 724 mm28 in of precipitation per year, the driest La Vega with 560 mm22 in.

The most common climate types (Köppen classification computed from these averages) are hot semi-arid (BSh, 8 places) and tropical savanna (dry winter) (Aw, 1 place).

The highest monthly average high is in La Vega (33 °C92 °F in September); the lowest monthly average low is in Santiago de los Caballeros (19 °C66 °F in February).

Across the places in the Dominican Republic, the months that most often rank as the most comfortable are January, February and December (9, 9 and 9 of 9 places respectively).

Temperature and rainfall across the Dominican Republic

Annual mean temperatures in the Dominican Republic range from 26 °C78 °F to 28 °C82 °F. The typical place (the median of all 9) has a year average of 27 °C81 °F. Annual precipitation ranges from 560 mm22 in to 724 mm28 in. The median place receives about 609 mm24 in in an average year.

In 0 places of 9, the coldest month has an average low below 0 °C (32 °F). In 7 places, the warmest month has an average high above 30 °C (86 °F). No place here gets less than 250 mm (10 in) of precipitation a year. None gets more than 2,000 mm (79 in) a year.

Averaged over all 9 places, August is the warmest month, with a mean of 28 °C83 °F. January is the coldest, with 25 °C77 °F. The wettest month on average is November (79 mm3.1 in). The driest is February (26 mm1.0 in). Single places can differ a lot from this average, so check the page of each city.

The table below lists the places sorted by population. The largest ones covered here are Santo Domingo, Santiago de los Caballeros and San Pedro de Macorís. Each city page has a chart and a table for every month. It also shows the best time to visit and what to pack. The figures are 25-year averages for 2001–2025 from NASA POWER. They describe grid cells of roughly 50–70 km, not single weather stations.

Climate of each place in the Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Its year average is 27 °C81 °F. The warmest month is August, with an average high of 32 °C89 °F. The coldest is January, with an average low of 21 °C70 °F. About 581 mm23 in of precipitation falls in a year. November is the wettest month and February the driest. By our comfort score, the best months to visit are December–March.

Santiago de los Caballeros has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Its year average is 26 °C78 °F. The warmest month is September, with an average high of 32 °C90 °F. The coldest is January, with an average low of 19 °C66 °F. About 627 mm25 in of precipitation falls in a year. November is the wettest month and February the driest. By our comfort score, the best months to visit are December–March.

San Pedro de Macorís has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Its year average is 27 °C81 °F. The warmest month is August, with an average high of 32 °C90 °F. The coldest is January, with an average low of 22 °C71 °F. About 605 mm24 in of precipitation falls in a year. November is the wettest month and March the driest. By our comfort score, the best months to visit are December–March.

La Romana has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Its year average is 28 °C82 °F. The warmest month is August, with an average high of 32 °C89 °F. The coldest is January, with an average low of 22 °C72 °F. About 609 mm24 in of precipitation falls in a year. November is the wettest month and March the driest. By our comfort score, the best months to visit are December–February.

San Cristóbal has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Its year average is 27 °C81 °F. The warmest month is August, with an average high of 32 °C89 °F. The coldest is January, with an average low of 21 °C70 °F. About 581 mm23 in of precipitation falls in a year. November is the wettest month and February the driest. By our comfort score, the best months to visit are December–March.

Puerto Plata has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). Its year average is 27 °C80 °F. The warmest month is September, with an average high of 30 °C86 °F. The coldest is February, with an average low of 23 °C74 °F. About 724 mm28 in of precipitation falls in a year. November is the wettest month and February the driest. By our comfort score, the best months to visit are December–April.

San Francisco de Macorís has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Its year average is 26 °C79 °F. The warmest month is August, with an average high of 30 °C87 °F. The coldest is January, with an average low of 21 °C70 °F. About 655 mm26 in of precipitation falls in a year. November is the wettest month and February the driest. By our comfort score, the best months to visit are December–April.

La Vega has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Its year average is 27 °C81 °F. The warmest month is August, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F. The coldest is January, with an average low of 20 °C67 °F. About 560 mm22 in of precipitation falls in a year. November is the wettest month and February the driest. By our comfort score, the best months to visit are December–March.

Punta Cana has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Its year average is 27 °C81 °F. The warmest month is September, with an average high of 29 °C84 °F. The coldest is March, with an average low of 25 °C77 °F. About 649 mm26 in of precipitation falls in a year. November is the wettest month and February the driest. By our comfort score, the best months to visit are October–July.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the warmest place in the Dominican Republic?

By annual mean temperature, the warmest place in the Dominican Republic is La Romana at 28 °C82 °F. The coolest is Santiago de los Caballeros at 26 °C78 °F.

Where does it rain the most in the Dominican Republic?

Puerto Plata gets the most precipitation, 724 mm28 in in an average year. The driest place is La Vega with 560 mm22 in.

How many places in the Dominican Republic does this site cover?

World Climates has climate data for 9 places in the Dominican Republic. Each one has a page with monthly averages for temperature, rainfall, humidity and daylight.

When is the best time to visit the Dominican Republic?

It depends on the place. Across the Dominican Republic, the months that most often rank as the most comfortable are January, February and December. Check the page of each city for its own best months.