To a great extent, the
physical terrain in Mexico
determines the
climate
- certainly far more than
the expected indicators of
latitude and longitude. You
can drive down the coast all
day without conditions
changing noticeably, but
turn inland to the mountains
and the contrast is
immediate: in temperature,
scenery, vegetation, even
the mood and mould of the
people around you.
Generalizations, therefore,
are difficult.
Summer, from June
to October, is in theory the
rainy season, but just how
wet it is varies wildly from
place to place. In the heart
of the country you can
expect a heavy but
shortlived downpour
virtually every afternoon;
in the north hardly any rain
falls, ever. Chiapas is the
wettest state, with many
minor roads washed out in
the autumn, and in the south
and low-lying coastal areas
summer is stickily humid
too, with occasional
spectacular tropical storms.
Winter is the
traditional tourist season,
and in the big beach resorts
like Acapulco and Cancún,
December is the busiest
month of the year. Mountain
areas, though, can get very
cold then: indeed nights in
the mountains can be
extremely cold at any time
of year, so carry a sweater.
In effect there are now
tourists all year round -
sticking on the whole to the
highlands in summer and the
coasts in winter. Given a
totally free choice,
November is probably the
ideal time to visit, with
the rains over, the land
still fresh, and the peak
season not yet begun.
Overall, though, the climate
is so benign that any time
of year will do, so long as
you're prepared for some
rain in the summer, some
cold in winter, and for
sudden changes which go with
the altitude at any time.
|
| Jan |
Mar |
May |
July |
Sept |
Nov |
| Acapulco
°F) |
88 |
72 |
88 |
72 |
90 |
77 |
91 |
77 |
90 |
77 |
90 |
75 |
| Rainfall
(inch) |
.5 |
.2 |
0 |
8 |
11 |
.6 |
| Guadalajara
(°F) |
73 |
45 |
82 |
48 |
88 |
57 |
79 |
59 |
79 |
59 |
77 |
50 |
| Rainfall
(inch) |
.5 |
.3 |
1 |
7 |
7 |
.5 |
| La
Paz (°F) |
73 |
55 |
79 |
55 |
91 |
63 |
97 |
73 |
95 |
73 |
84 |
63 |
| Rainfall
(inch) |
.3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
.5 |
| Mérida
(°F) |
82 |
64 |
90 |
68 |
93 |
70 |
91 |
73 |
90 |
73 |
84 |
66 |
| Rainfall
(inch) |
1 |
.5 |
3 |
5 |
7 |
1 |
| Mexico
City (°F) |
72 |
43 |
81 |
50 |
81 |
55 |
75 |
55 |
73 |
55 |
73 |
48 |
| Rainfall
(inch) |
.5 |
.5 |
3 |
6 |
5 |
.5 |
| Monterrey
(°F) |
68 |
48 |
79 |
55 |
88 |
68 |
93 |
72 |
93 |
72 |
73 |
54 |
| Rainfall
(inch) |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
| Oaxaca
(°F) |
82 |
46 |
90 |
54 |
90 |
59 |
82 |
59 |
81 |
59 |
82 |
50 |
| Rainfall
(inch) |
2 |
1 |
5 |
8 |
11 |
2 |
| San
Cristóbal (°F) |
68 |
41 |
72 |
45 |
72 |
48 |
72 |
50 |
70 |
50 |
68 |
45 |
| Rainfall
(inch) |
2 |
2 |
7 |
7 |
14 |
3 |
| Tijuana
(°F) |
68 |
43 |
70 |
46 |
73 |
54 |
81 |
61 |
81 |
61 |
73 |
50 |
| Rainfall
(inch) |
2 |
1 |
.2 |
0 |
.5 |
1 |
| Veracruz
(°F) |
77 |
64 |
79 |
70 |
86 |
77 |
88 |
75 |
88 |
77 |
82 |
70 |
| Rainfall
(inch) |
1 |
1 |
4 |
9 |
12 |
2 |
