Weather and Climate in Bolivia

Bolivia is completely in the tropics, but the climate is by no means uniformly tropical. The spectrum ranges from the high mountain climate in the Andes, through the subtropical climate of the Yunga regions, to the fully tropical climate in the lowland areas and the dry zone of the Chaco. The temperatures are seasonally quite stable and largely dependent on the altitude. Nationwide, most of the rainfall falls in the southern summer (November to April), with annual rainfall increasing from south to north.

In the mountains are temperature and precipitation very depending on the region differently. In the Yungas the humid northeast trade winds are pushed upwards by the mountains. Due to the cooling at increasing altitude, clouds form quickly, the area with up to 1520 mm annual precipitation is very rainy. In the protected basins and valleys of the Cordillera Oriental, on the other hand, one finds relatively mild temperatures and lower amounts of precipitation (from 640 to 760 mm per year). Temperatures fall with increasing altitude. Snow may fall above an altitude of 2,000 m, and permanent snow above 4,600 m. Higher than 5,500 m there is a polar climate, where some glaciers have formed. There is a cold high desert in the Cordillera Occidental.

In the Altiplano, at an altitude of between 3,000 and 4,000 m, the climate is cool and dry. Cold and strong winds also play a decisive role here. The daytime temperatures fluctuate strongly, the precipitation decreases from north to south. The dry season from May to October is very dry, while December to March is the rainy season. Lake Titicaca has a mitigating influence on the climate, but nights with temperatures around freezing point also occur on its shores, and snowfall is also possible. Due to the high altitude of the city, the air in the capital La Paz is very low in oxygen. Intensive solar radiation (ultraviolet radiation) is also often perceived as unpleasant. In the northern lowlands there is a humid tropical climate

with high temperatures throughout the year. Humidity and precipitation are high. In this area, daily maximum temperatures of more than 30 ° C are reached all year round. The heavy rainfall is caused by the northeast trade wind that blows over the Amazon basin. The rain is often accompanied by brief thunderstorms, sometimes hail and strong gusts.
In the central lowlands one finds both humid tropical and dry climates. In the period between October and April, the northeast trade winds cause hot and humid weather. Between May and September, however, the dry southwest trade wind prevails with only low amounts of rain. This dry season is characterized by sunny days and clear nights with extreme high and low temperatures during the day. Strong south winds (surazos) occur from time to time in winter and cool the region for a few days.

In the Chaco you can find either tropical or dry climate. Due to the northeast trade winds, there is relatively high rainfall from January to March at high temperatures. The rest of the year it stays dry on hot days and cold nights. The highest temperature measured in Bolivia, 47 ° C, was also found in the Chaco. The south winds of the Surazos also blow in the Chaco, they are often accompanied by strong thunderstorms.

The best time to travel to Bolivia are the winter months between May and October with dry and clear days. During this time, there is less rainfall in most regions and the temperatures are generally pleasant. This is also the best season for mountain climbing in the Andes. March and October can be very humid and hot in the Concepción region. Most visitors come to Bolivia in the months of July to September. Many South Americans also visit the country during this period. Therefore the prices are usually higher than in the rest of the year.

In the summer rainy season (November to April)a visit to Bolivia is not necessarily recommended. Overland transport is made more difficult, in some regions even impossible. In the lowlands, it can get very uncomfortable with mud, high humidity, stinging insects and relentless tropical downpours. Jungle tours cannot be carried out either due to an unexpected rise in the river level. Nevertheless, traveling in the rainy season has its advantages – the southern lowlands in particular really bloom during this time, while in winter everything is barren and dry. On the Salar de Uyuni, too, small lakes are formed by the rain and cause beautiful reflections that can only be seen in the rainy season.

Average daytime temperature

Region

Jan

Feb

March

Apr

May

June

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Cobija

31 ° C

31 ° C

32 ° C

31 ° C

29 ° C

30 ° C

30 ° C

33 ° C

35 ° C

32 ° C

31 ° C

31 ° C

Cochabamba

25 ° C

24 ° C

25 ° C

25 ° C

25 ° C

24 ° C

24 ° C

25 ° C

26 ° C

27 ° C

27 ° C

25 ° C

La Paz

18 ° C

18 ° C

18 ° C

19 ° C

17 ° C

17 ° C

17 ° C

17 ° C

18 ° C

19 ° C

19 ° C

19 ° C

Puerto Suarez

33 ° C

33 ° C

33 ° C

30 ° C

27 ° C

28 ° C

27 ° C

29 ° C

32 ° C

33 ° C

33 ° C

33 ° C

Santa Cruz

30 ° C

31 ° C

30 ° C

28 ° C

25 ° C

23 ° C

24 ° C

28 ° C

29 ° C

30 ° C

31 ° C

31 ° C

Sucre

20 ° C

20 ° C

19 ° C

20 ° C

20 ° C

20 ° C

20 ° C

21 ° C

21 ° C

21 ° C

21 ° C

21 ° C

Tarija

26 ° C

26 ° C

25 ° C

25 ° C

23 ° C

23 ° C

23 ° C

26 ° C

26 ° C

26 ° C

26 ° C

27 ° C

Trinidad

32 ° C

31 ° C

31 ° C

31 ° C

29 ° C

29 ° C

29 ° C

32 ° C

33 ° C

32 ° C

32 ° C

32 ° C

Average night temperature

Region

Jan

Feb

March

Apr

May

June

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Cobija

25 ° C

22 ° C

21 ° C

21 ° C

19 ° C

17 ° C

16 ° C

18 ° C

20 ° C

21 ° C

21 ° C

21 ° C

Cochabamba

12 ° C

12 ° C

11 ° C

8 ° C

5 ° C

2 ° C

2 ° C

4 ° C

8 ° C

10 ° C

11 ° C

12 ° C

La Paz

6 ° C

6 ° C

6 ° C

5 ° C

3 ° C

2 ° C

1 ° C

2 ° C

3 ° C

5 ° C

6 ° C

6 ° C

Puerto Suarez

22 ° C

22 ° C

21 ° C

18 ° C

16 ° C

16 ° C

14 ° C

15 ° C

18 ° C

20 ° C

20 ° C

22 ° C

Santa Cruz

21 ° C

21 ° C

21 ° C

19 ° C

17 ° C

15 ° C

15 ° C

16 ° C

19 ° C

20 ° C

20 ° C

21 ° C

Sucre

10 ° C

10 ° C

9 ° C

8 ° C

6 ° C

5 ° C

4 ° C

5 ° C

7 ° C

8 ° C

9 ° C

10 ° C

Tarija

14 ° C

14 ° C

13 ° C

11 ° C

6 ° C

5 ° C

4 ° C

6 ° C

8 ° C

12 ° C

13 ° C

13 ° C

Trinidad

22 ° C

22 ° C

22 ° C

21 ° C

19 ° C

17 ° C

15 ° C

17 ° C

19 ° C

21 ° C

21 ° C

22 ° C

Average hours of sunshine / day

Region	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
La Paz	4	4	5	7	9	11	9	8	8	8	6	6

Average rainy days / month

Region	Jan	Feb	March	Apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Cobija	12	11	10	8	5	1	2	2	4	7	9	11
Cochabamba	15	12	10	4	2	1	1	1	3	4	7	13
La Paz	21	18	16	9	5	2	2	4	9	9	11	18
Puerto Suarez	10	9	10	5	4	3	2	1	2	5	5	8
Santa Cruz	14	11	12	9	11	9	6	4	6	7	9	12
Sucre	6	6	5	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	3	3
Tarija	6	5	4	1	0	0	0	0	1	2	5	4
Trinidad	16	14	13	10	8	4	4	4	7	9	14	16