What’s the weather like in Medellin? What can we say about the weather in Medellin on a trip to the capital of Antioquia department, one of Colombia’s most dynamic cities? Does its nickname of “the city of eternal spring” have anything to do with its climate?
In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the weather in Medellin, so you can imagine what to expect during your visit. What’s the best time to visit Medellin? Is it cold in Medellin? How hot or cold can you expect?
You’ll find out everything you need to know about Medellin’s weather.
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Medellin weather
- Climate classification: temperate and dry*
- Rainfall: bimodal (two dry seasons and two wet seasons)
- Average temperature: 17-28°C
- Precipitation: 227 days/year
- Average humidity: 68
- Average sunshine: 5h/day
- Altitude: 1495m
- Region: Andes
- Department: Antioquia Antioquia
*Classification Caldas – Lang
Disclaimer: we apologize in advance for any grammatical or syntactic errors, as our native language is not English (we're a Colombian-French couple), so we hope you'll forgive us and still enjoy the information we share with you! Please note that all the information on our blog is based on our own experience, and is checked and updated regularly.
Weather in Medellin
Best time to visit the city of eternal springtime
Medellin is nicknamed the “city of eternal spring”, with the reputation of having one of the most pleasant climates in Colombia. In other words, it’s neither too hot nor too cold.
Technically, Medellin’s climate is defined as temperate and dry, which may seem surprising given that it rains quite frequently. But this classification can be explained by a very low average humidity level compared to other regions of Colombia. Surprisingly, Medellin has the same humidity level as arid regions such as Guajira or the Tatacoa desert.
Paradoxically, it rains very often in Medellin , and the city is at the upper end of the country in terms of annual rainfall.
As elsewhere in Colombia, Medellin’s climate is divided into dry seasons (verano) and wet seasons (invierno), in the form of a “bimodal” regime: two dry seasons and two wet seasons.
- Verano: dry season
- Invierno: wet season
| Season | Climate | Months |
|---|---|---|
| Verano | dry season | December, January, February, July, August |
| Invierno | wet season | April, May, October, November |
Medellin weather: the driest months are from mid-December to mid-March, and from early July to late August. The wettest months are from mid-March to mid-June and from mid-September to mid-December.
What’s the weather like in Medellin?
Climate, temperatures, humidity, sun, rain
What’s the weather like in Medellin month by month?
Here’s some information to help you see for yourself which is the best season to visit Medellin. In this table we give you the average weather data for each month:
- Minimum and maximum temperatures
- Daily sunshine duration
- Percentage of humidity
- Rainfall amounts
| Month | Season | Temperature (°C) | Sunshine(h/d) | Humidity (%) | Precipitation (mm/d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Verano | 17°-28° | 5,5h | 66% | 63mm |
| February | Verano | 17°-28° | 5,4h | 65% | 81mm |
| March | Intermediate | 17°-28° | 4,8h | 67% | 129mm |
| April | Invierno | 17°-28° | 4,1h | 70% | 170mm |
| May | Invierno | 17°-28° | 4,5h | 70% | 213mm |
| June | Intermediate | 17°-28° | 5,5h | 66% | 149mm |
| July | Verano | 17°-28° | 6,4h | 63% | 133mm |
| August | Verano | 17°-28° | 6,0h | 63% | 139mm |
| September | Intermediate | 17°-28° | 4,9h | 67% | 181mm |
| October | Invierno | 17°-28° | 4,3h | 71% | 226mm |
| November | Invierno | 17°-28° | 4,5h | 72% | 159mm |
| December | Verano | 17°-28° | 4,9h | 70% | 104mm |
Rain in Medellin
Best time to visit the city of eternal springtime
With 227 days of precipitation per year, Medellin is a rainy city .
The average total annual rainfall in Medellin is 1.752 mm. If we compare this figure with Bogotá, for example, it rains twice as much!
| Season | Number of days with rain in Medellin (average) |
|---|---|
| Verano | 15 days per month |
| Invierno | 23 days per month |
| All year round | 227 days a year |
As expected, it rains frequently in Medellin. But that doesn’t mean it rains all day long. In Colombia, we often have to deal with thunderstorms. The most frequent phenomenon is that it rains once during the day, for a relatively short time, and then passes.
Temperatures in Medellin
Is it hot?
That’s it! There you have it, the main reason why Medellin is called the city of eternal spring! The average temperature in Medellin is 22°C all year round. Not too hot, not too cold!
| Average temperatures in Medellin | 22°C |
|---|---|
| Average maximum temperature | 28°C |
| Average minimum temperature | 17°C |
The weather in Medellin is very pleasant, with ideal temperatures. Maximum temperatures are reasonable, with a pleasant 28°C that doesn’t suffocate. And minimum temperatures are really pleasant, averaging 17°C…
Sunshine in Medellin
Best time to visit Medellin
Medellin enjoys average sunshine. With a total ofaround 1.860 hours of sunshine a year, it’s right in the middle of the national average. Sunshine is measured as the duration of “direct sunlight uninterrupted by clouds”. (This does not mean that it rains the rest of the time!)
| Season | Average hours of sunshine in Medellin |
|---|---|
| Verano | 5.5h of sunshine per day on average |
| Invierno | 4.5h of sunshine per day on average |
The cloudless sun shines in Medellin for around 4.5 hours a day during the rainy months
In dry months, the sun shines for 5.5 hours a day.
As a reminder, in Colombia the days are the same length all year round. And as we’re close to the equator, the day lasts 12 hours.
Best time to visit Medellin
Weather in the city of eternal springtime
Medellin is a city that can be visited all year round.
We can’t stress this enough, but rain is no obstacle to traveling in Colombia. It’s rare to have full days of rain like in France. On the other hand, daily showers are possible. Especially during the wet months of April, May, October and November.
| Best months to visit Medellin | Rainy months |
|---|---|
| January, February, March, June, July, August, September, December | April, May, October, November |
The best time to visit Medellin is during the “verano” seasons, i.e. December to March and June to September.
Best things to do in Medellin
All year long
The city of eternal spring is one of Colombia’s most visited destinations. In town, most tourists visit the Plaza Botero and the Comuna 13 district, but there are plenty of other things to do in Medellin. Around the city, the region offers many possibilities in terms of mountain activities and the discovery of pretty villages such as Guatape, Santa Fé, Jerico or Jardin…
Medellin City Tour
All year long
We recommend a range of guided tours in english to discover the secrets of the Colombian capital and the history of Colombia in general at first hand.
Practical info
For all practical information, visit our general post and our dedicated posts:
