The Medellín weather is a major benefit to living in Medellín and the city earns its nickname as “the City of Eternal Spring” (La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera) with an average year-round temperature of 72.5 °F (22.5 °C).
The climate in Medellín is comfortable and is consistent year-round due to the city being located at a high elevation of about 4,900 feet and also being located near the equator. I even included the good Medellín weather as one of 27 reasons I chose to live in Medellín.
Technically Medellín is considered to have a tropical rain-forest climate bordering on a subtropical highland climate. Due to the elevation of Medellín, it’s not as hot as other cities at the same latitude near the equator.
In this article we look at the Medellín weather and climate in detail, including temperature ranges, temperatures in different neighborhoods in the city, typical rainfall by month, the humidity in the city and the average daily sunshine hours in the city.
When looking at the Medellín weather, we also compare the average temperature, rainfall, humidity and daily sunshine hours in Medellín with other cities in Colombia. In Colombia you can choose your climate by the elevation of the city.
In addition, we look at when is the best time to visit Medellín taking into account the Medellín weather.
Note the above photo of Medellín is from Cerro de Las Tres Cruces during one of the many great weather days in Medellín.
Unfortunately weather forecasts for Medellín may not be accurate
Medellín Weather: Temperatures by Month
The average temperature in Medellín for the entire year is 72.5 °F (22.5 °C). And the average temperature in the city each month typically only varies by about 1 °F.
During the average day in the city, the average temperature usually ranges from 63.2 to 82.1 °F (17.4 to 27.8 °C).
The following table includes by month the daily average temperature, the daily high temperature average, the record high temperature, the daily low temperature average and the record low temperature.
Medellín temperatures by month at Olaya Herrera Airport – 1981-2010, source: Instituto Hidrologia Meterorologia y Estudios Ambientales
There are several other cities in Colombia with warmer climates and higher average temperatures during the year than in Medellín. For example, here is the average annual temperature in four other cities in Colombia with higher temperatures than in Medellín:
- Santa Marta – 82.9 ° F (28.3 °C)
- Cartagena – 82.0 °F (27.8 °C)
- Barranquilla – 80.4 ° F (26.9 °C)
- Cali – 75.0 °F (23.9 °C)
And here is the average annual temperature in two cities in Colombia with lower temperatures than in Medellín due to being located at higher elevations:
- Bogotá – 58.0 °F (14.5 °C)
- Manizales – 62.6 °F (17.0 °C)
Also, there are two other cities in Colombia with similar average temperatures to Medellín during the year:
- Bucaramanga – 70.5 ° F (21.4 °C)
- Pereira – 70.7 ° F (21.5 °C)
- Medellín – 72.5 ° F (22.5 °C)
So, Colombia actually has three cities of eternal spring.
Medellín Weather: Temperatures by Neighborhoods
Not many people are aware that the temperature in different neighborhoods in Medellín can vary by over 6 degrees Celsius or over 11 degrees Fahrenheit for the high temperature of the day.
Lower neighborhoods in the Medellín area like El Centro, Laureles/Estadio and the lower parts of Belén tend to have higher temperatures.
To demonstrate this, I looked at the temperatures at 3 pm on September 23, 2018 in several neighborhoods in the city. At this time the sun was out and it was relatively hot in many neighborhoods in the city.
I used the mobile app Ciudadanos Cientificos this is used to monitor the pollution sensors in many neighborhoods in Medellín. We included this app in our list of the 20 best mobile apps to use in Medellín and Colombia.
These pollution sensors also report the current temperature and humidity. Here are the results of this survey at 3 pm on September 23, 2018:
Temperatures by neighborhood in the Medellín metro area at 3 pm on September 23, 2018
The coolest temperature during my survey of eight locations was in La Doctora in Sabaneta, which is located up the hills in Sabaneta.
While this isn’t scientific and is just one sample, it demonstrates that temperatures vary in different parts of the city. I regularly see that the temperatures are higher in the lower parts of the Aburrá Valley. This shows that it’s possible to choose a neighborhood to live that will have lower high temperatures during the day and cooler temperatures at night.
Up the hills located in El Poblado, Envigado, Belén and Sabaneta, it can be cooler than in the lower parts of the metro area. It’s normally about 2 to 10 °F cooler up the hills (depends on how high up the hills) during the hottest part of the day compared to neighborhoods in the lower parts of the Aburrá Valley.
And higher up the hills such as in Rionegro near the Medellín international airport, the temperature is even cooler.
Rain storm coming with clouds approaching Medellín
Medellín Weather: Rainfall by Month
Medellín typically has two rainy seasons during the year. The two rainy seasons are April to May and September to November each year. And the driest months are usually December to February each month, as seen in the following table:
Medellín average rainfall by month at Olaya Herrera Airport – 1981-2010, source: Instituto Hidrologia Meterorologia y Estudios Ambientales
During the rainiest months in Medellín it normally rains 21 to 25 days each month with 6.3 to 8.9 inches (158.9 to 226.7 mm) of rain per month on average. And for the entire year on average, Medellín receives 69.0 inches (1,752 mm) of rain.
However, when it rains in Medellín it is typically just a short shower. In El Centro in Medellín, when it rains you will normally see people waiting under overhangs or in shops waiting for the rain to stop, as they don’t carry umbrellas and are accustomed to short rain showers.
Plaza Mayor in Medellín at night after a short rain shower, photo by Yimicorrea
Also, it won’t necessarily rain in all the neighborhoods in the city at the same time or the same day. In addition, it rarely rains for an extended period in the city. Furthermore, you can when rain is threatening and it’s likely to rain soon.
When the sky looks like this it’s likely to rain soon
In my experience you never know when it might rain in the city or in a particular neighborhood. Also, the weather forecasts for Medellín tend to be inaccurate. So, I always carry an umbrella with me in a backpack. But one of the more accurate weather forecasts for Medellín online tends to be AccuWeather.
Medellín has more rain that many other cities in Colombia. Here is how much rain on average, several cities in Colombia receive per year.
- Quibdó – 320.1 inches (8,130.5 mm) of rain – the rainiest city in Colombia
- Pereira – 95.4 inches (2,424.4 mm) of rain
- San Andrés – 74.8 inches (1,900 mm) of rain
- Medellín – 69.0 inches (1,752 mm) of rain
- Manizales – 62.3 inches (1,583.7 mm) of rain
- Bucaramanga – 46.8 inches (1,189.4 mm) of rain
- Cartagena – 42.8 inches (1,087 mm) of rain
- Bogotá – 39.8 inches (1,012 mm) of rain
- Cali – 35.0 inches (888.2 mm) of rain
- Barranquilla – 32.4 inches (822 mm) of rain
- Santa Marta – 21.5 inches (545.3 mm) of rain
Medellín Weather: Humidity by Month
The average humidity in Medellín for the entire year is 67.5 percent. And the average humidity in Medellín each month ranges from 62.6 to 71.7 percent detailed in the following table.
Average Medellín humidity by month at Olaya Herrera Airport – 1981-2010, source: Instituto Hidrologia Meterorologia y Estudios Ambientales
There are several other cities in Colombia with higher average humidity during the year than in Medellín. Here is the average annual humidity in several cities in Colombia:
- Bucaramanga – 85 percent
- Manizales – 83 percent
- Armenia – 81 percent
- Cartagena – 81 percent
- Barranquilla – 80 percent
- Pereira – 77 percent
- Bogotá – 76 percent
- Santa Marta – 76 percent
- Cali – 74 percent
- Medellín – 68 percent
Medellín Weather: Sunshine Hours by Month
Even with its rain, Medellín averages 5.1 sunshine hours per day for the entire year. Each month the average number of sunshine hours per day varies from 4.1 to 6.4 hours per day as seen in the following table:
Medellín average daily sunshine hours by month at Olaya Herrera Airport – 1981-2010, source: Instituto Hidrologia Meterorologia y Estudios Ambientales
There are several cities in Colombia with more average sunshine hours per day during the year than in Medellín, as seen in the following list:
- Santa Marta – 7.7 hours of sunshine per day
- Barranquilla – 7.0 hours of sunshine per day
- Cartagena – 6.9 hours of sunshine per day
- Cali – 5.3 hours of sunshine per day
- Pereira – 5.2 hours of sunshine per day
- Bucaramanga – 5.2 hours of sunshine per day
- Medellín – 5.1 hours of sunshine per day
- Manizales – 4.2 hours of sunshine per day
- Bogotá – 3.6 hours of sunshine per day
When is the Best Time to Visit Medellín?
Medellín is known as the “City of Eternal Spring.” The temperature is similar in Medellín throughout the entire year. So, you can visit any time of the year and still experience similar temperatures.
But rainfall in Medellín varies during the year. So, from a rain standpoint the best time to visit Medellín is during the driest months, which are usually December to February.
During the two rainy seasons, April to May and September to November, it normally rains 21 to 25 days each month. But rain showers are typically short in Medellín. And during these two rainy seasons you can still expect to see 4.1 to 4.9 hours of sunshine per day on average.
During the rainy season, the weather forecast for Medellín normally includes rain every day. But what this means is that it may rain for a few hours and not everywhere in the metro area.
My father visited Medellín during the rainy season last year and he still liked the weather. He didn’t really experience that much rain, as it didn’t rain every day. And when it did rain, the rain was normally for no more than a few hours.
But there is more than weather to consider when deciding when is the best time to visit Medellín. Also, keep in mind that December is one of the peak travel times with higher prices for airfare, hotels and rental apartments. Another peak travel time is during August for Medellín’s Feria de las Flores (Flower Festival).
Feria de las Flores is one of the peak travel times to Medellín
And if you are looking for cheap flight to Medellín, we previously looked at how to find cheap flights to Medellín and Colombia.
View of Medellín taken from Pueblito Paisa, photo by Jenny Bojinova
The Bottom Line: Medellín Weather and Climate – The City of Eternal Spring
Medellín is famous for its spring-like climate year-round. The “Eternal Spring” climate and great Medellín weather are considered some of the main benefits of living in Medellín.
It’s very possible to live in Medellín without air-conditioning or heating. I have lived in Medellín for over eight years and we only have a few fans in our apartment.
I am now spoiled by the Medellín weather and dislike it when I have to travel somewhere cold or hot: such as Boston during the winter, which was one of my last trips to the U.S., or Cartagena any time of the year.
In addition, “What is the weather like in Medellín?” is a common question asked by expats visiting Medellín. So, we included this question in our list of Medellín frequently asked questions (FAQ).
Sign up for the Free Medellin Guru Newsletter – You can see all of the previous Medellin Guru weekly email newsletters and sign up here.
31 thoughts on “Medellín Weather and Climate: The City of Eternal Spring”
When I obtained a resident visa for Mexico the rule was that I had to apply from outside Mexico but when I decided to move to Colombia I came down to Medellin and they let me apply from here. Also, a buddy of mine was able to apply at the Colombian consulate in Miami. Before actually making the final decision to live here you’d be well advised to speak to a local visa agency. If Jeff sees your post he put up the link but you can refer to:
tabhttps://medellinguru.com/medellin-guru-visa-services/
We live in Boise, ID. This a very arid climate with little rain. Daily high temps rarely drop out of the nineties and are often in the 100’s F. If you have a lawn you need a sprinkler system. It will be an interesting change to see more frequent (but not prolonged) rain. I want to work with you to get a resident visa for my wife and I. I need you to tell me what documents I will need to support our applications. Am I able to take care of some things before we leave for Medellin? I don’t believe there is a Columbian Consulate near Boise.
Great article, Jeff. I lived in Medellín six years in the 80s. Best climate I have ever experienced. But as some have noted the Medellín of today may not be like it was in the 80s. Personally, today, I like the climate of Armenia, Quindio, from 62°F to 79°F and is rarely below 60°F or above 83°F. Rain doesn’t bother me. To each his own.
The best weather I have found is in Manizales. Check it out. IT gets its fair share of rain as it is in coffee country, but it has very puré air and water and it is much safer than Medelllin. I personally am burned out on Medellin. It is no retirement haven. I have been coming here for over 45 years and retired here. Bad choice. I think.
I have been to Manizales and was not very impressed. The climate is colder in Manizales. In Manizales, the temperature during the entire year averages a much cooler 62.6 ° F (17.0 °C). The daily average high temperature in Manizales ranges from 69.1 to 71.6 °F (20.6 to 22.0 °C). And the daily average low temperature ranges from 53.2 to 55.0 °F (11.8 to 12.8 °C).
To each his own but I prefer the climate in Medellín or Pereira or Bucaramanga way more than the climate in Manizales.
Also, IMHO Manizales has other downsides – too hilly, seismic and volcanic risk, small airport with few flight options that also closes frequently, small restaurant selection since a small city and not much of an expat community and not as many shopping options.
See: https://medellinguru.com/medellin-vs-manizales/
As I said at the end of that comparison, the best place to live is the best place to live for you. Everyone has different priorities. The only way to know which place is the best for you is to spend time there.
Jeff, If you looked on weather websites having never visited Medellin, it doesn’t look too sunny. I believe you , and know there wouldn’t be that many people singing it’s praises it it was gloomy. But you can see where I got that impression. Weatherspark had around 80% or worse overcast rate all year. The sunny pictures could of been taken on the few good days…Most tourist related things have sunny pictures. That’s why I was wondering what was going on, why the discrepancy etc. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Medellin. Thanks
Many of the weather sites frequently have a forecast for rainy days for Medellín, but this means it may rain for an hour or two or not even at all many days. There are always some clouds over the city but I wouldn’t put it at 60-80% overcast like Weatherspark – that is bs and I have been living here for over 8 years. I would say its partly cloudy much more often than overcast.
I can take sunny pictures here most days of the week. It’s no longer the rainy season and the sun is out almost every day. It was sunny yesterday and today and the forecast is to be partly cloudy the rest of the week with the sun also out until a chance of rain on Friday and next week. Look on Accuweather, it normally has a pretty good forecast for Medellín.
Thanks Jeff, I appreciate it. My wife and I have traveled a lot in Mexico and speak passable Spanish.. We like the colonial cities and the people…such a rich history and culture. We love San Miguel de Allende, spend a lot of time there and have friends there. The problem we have with San Miguel for retirement is it’s expensive and also has serious water/pollution problems. Colombia seems to have a rich culture similar to Mexico and the prices look very reasonable. As I said we like the old colonial cities, I guess medium to large cities…nothing too small. Medellin is high on the list right now .I’d like to check out “coffee country” cities and Santa Marta also. Anyway thanks for the boots on the ground info! Tom
Ok What about sunshine. Every picture I see of Medellin or just about, looks gloomy! On weatherspark, Medellin looks overcast most of the time most of the year. How is that great? I like seeing the sun as much as possible. What’s going on here? I don’t get it. Do so many people love grey gloomy skies?
It’s not gloomy all the time in Medellín. The sun is out now and Medellín actually averages 5.1 hours of sunshine per day for the entire year as it says in the article. In December the average is 4.9 hours of sunshine per day and in January it’s an average of 5.5 hours of sunshine per day.
Also, there are thousands of pictures on this website taken when the sun was out in Medellín.
No biggie but Celsius and Fahrenheit are names of scientists… so spelling shouldn’t be a problem.
Thanks for catching the typos not caught by the spellchecker. It’s corrected in the article.
Great article, Jeff. I’m interesting in learning about the pollution issue in Medellin and its surroundings compared with other cities.
Thanks,
John
Medellin is similar to Mexico City, Los Angeles and Santiago, Chile. Pollution gets trapped under the dome and at time reaches dangerous levels. Medical professionals will tell you that they have seen an alarming rise in lung disease and Asthma. No matter what statistics say about other cities being worse than Medellin, that does not minimize the severity of our problem. The government is working to reduce the problem but it will take a monumental effort. The air here can be monitored by some applications. SIATA is good and has monitoring stations around the city. Some days I don’t leave my apartment because the air is so toxic. Other days its fine. Avoid rush hour traffic and getting stuck in a taxi. The black smoke from the busses will sicken you.
Great article, Jeff. My question is how is the pollution as compared with other cities and what is the city government doing to address It?
Thanks,
John
Hi John, pollution is one of the downsides to living in Medellín – see: https://medellinguru.com/downsides/. According to WHO there are over 600 cities and towns around the world with worse pollution than Medellín.
Medellín has a strategic plan in place to reduce the average annual level of PM 2.5 pollution in the city though a number of projects. They used to have a detailed presentation about this online but the link appears to be down.
Thanks
I disagree with one point here. The average temperatiure i believe is misleading because the average daytime could never ever be 72 degrees. How could that be when some afternoons its 90-95 degrees F. in the shade. I cannot imagine what temperature is in the sun. I bet hit enough to fry an egg. The nights here can be glorious and for the most part make Medellin an amazing city once the clock strikes 6pm.
That temperature average of 72.5 °F (22.5 °C) is for the entire day , a 24 hour period. The daily temperature on average ranges from 63.2 to 82.1 °F (17.4 to 27.8 °C) as seen in the table in the article.
That makes sense. I know there are days i walk down the street and that equatorial sun lets me know I am no longer in Kansas. :-). Yikes. Picante Calor.
I am moving from Las Vegas. 118° F. But people say, ‘But it’s dry heat’.oh yeah????? Lemme tell you sumpin. Baby 118 degrees will kill you right quick. I’ take 80 or even 85 even with the humidity thank you very much.
My oven generates dry heat as well. People don’t have a clue until they have experienced hot, dry heat. I think you will ve quite pleased here.
Coming from a drier climate in the U.S., the humidity took me a bit by surprise. Spring like weather means different things to different people depending on where you reside on the globe. For me, the daily temperatures were fantastic as well as the occasional heavy but brief downpours. But that humidity is nothing to scoff at. I’m glad I brought with me some extra undershirts and a few handkerchiefs to wipe the eternal sweat emanating from my brow.
If you think Medellin is humid, try the other cities in Colombia. The coastal cities and the coffee triangle cities have even higher humidity. The humidity is miserable in Cartagena and Barranquilla and also with high temps so I had to change my shirt 3 times a day.
Cartagena. Perhaps the hottest most humid resort town I have ever visited. Never again will I subject myself to such misery. A good place to avoid unless you enjoy gasping for air.
The interesting thing is though, wet clothing coming out from the washing machine dry rapidly here. Surprising when you consider the humidity level here. It can get intense here. The city of eternal spring is no longer a reality here. At times those halcyon days return, albeit briefly. In 1975 the average daily temperatures were so cool and comfortable we needed jackets during the day and the skies were crystal blue..no longer. Medellin has grown exponentially and will eventually resemble Bogotá.
Many cities in the U.S. have higher average humidity than in Medellín. See the first graphic in this with a distribution of average humidity for U.S. cities with > 50,000 population: http://www.city-data.com/top2/c485.html.
That graphic shows that the majority of U.S. cities have an average humidity of 64% or higher.
The key to relative comfort is dew point. Generally a dew point less than 65F is considered comfortable. Medellin’s dew point is consistently below that.
Thanks, nice article and interesting information about the temperature varying in different neighborhoods in the city. I was considering living in Laureles but found it was too hot during the day. I found a nice apartment in the hills of Loma de las Bernal in Belen where it is cooler.
My apartment in my building faces West (bad) afternoon sun bakes us and we get no breeze ever. Across the hall the apartments face north / northeast and get a delicious breeze and the apartments are much cooler. Location is everything here. I had to install central air in order to be able to enjoy my apartment as internal temps hover around 30 degrees and higher without the aircon.
Population since 1975 has increased 10 fold. Contributing to a huge warming trend. Many days 30 degrees Celcius plus is not uncommon. No matter what statistics say Medellin has warmed considerably. Huge increases in Population, cars motorcycles, buses, taxis and trucks choke the city in many sections with high pollution that have contributed substantially to unhealthy air pollution. The Medellin Valley is much like Mexico City, LA, and Santiago, Chile trapping the air. We expect the city to swell to over 6 million residents in coming years, reforms are on the rise albeit too slowly. Drastic measures are needed to slow down and perhaps reverse the increased temps and pollution that have changed our climate dramatically since I first arrived here 45 years ago. The city of eternal spring at times feels like the city of eternal summer. Try Manizales for a truer city of eternal spring.