Santa Marta Weather, Tropical Beaches And Snow Capped Mountains.

Weather in Santa Marta

Total Sunshine
• 2900 hours (climate data from Salzwedel and Muller, 1983) or 8 hours per day averaged over a one year period.

• Every day is a good day to be outdoors.

Weather Underground Forecast for Santa Marta.

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is much different than the coast climate wise, although it is less than 30 miles away. Temperate to cooler to freezing, that is why this area has such extreme biodiversity found in few other places on the planet.

Air temperatures average 82F (28˚C) in the day and 25 during the night, annually, sometimes a little hotter or cooler, you shouldn't need a sweater, if you travel for 30 miles though you can be in a different climate zone (due to elevation) and the temperature drops quickly, long pants and heavier clothing are needed or you will be cold and miserable.

Not far away from Santa Marta at an elevation of about 2100 feet is a pleasant little town called Minca. a journey of 30 minutes to an hour under ideal weather conditions.

climate data suggests temperatures closer to the low 70's, it's a nice change from the daily heat of Santa Marta. An umbrella is a good idea as it pours mid afternoon.

Two Seasons

• Dry from mid December to April and a smaller dry season during June and JulyThe Trade Winds are strong and will usually come from the northeast, (climate data from Salzwedel and Muller, 1983).

• Rainy May to November with the heaviest rains between September and November, less in July and August, not all day, just some days for an hour or two, in the rainy season the weather is still nice, (climate data from Salzwedel and Muller, 1983).

Coldest Month is January lowest temperature 70˚F (21˚C), this is the low temperature and not the average.

Hottest Month is March averaging 88˚F (31˚C).

Precipitation 12.5 inches or 318mm annually (climate data from Salzwedel and Muller, 1983)

Santa Marta does not get hurricanes

The area can be affected by heavy rains and high seas but it is outside of the hurricane belt. Hurricane season in the Caribbean is from June 1st to November 30th. Water temperatures ranging from 77˚F (25˚C) to 82˚F (28˚C) throughout the year. (climate data from Salzwedel and Muller, 1983)

Santa Marta's weather system including the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta covers a range of climate and temperature regions only 25 miles (40 km) from the sea.

Some weather observations

If it does rain hard the water starts to splash on the streets after about 5 minutes, after 10 minutes there's an inch of water flowing down the streets, in a half hour there will be 6 inches of water flowing towards the ocean. I love this time of year, I heard the loudest thunder clap in my life in El Rodadero. When the storm arrives there's lots of thunder and lightning but once it stops raining, the streets are back to normal in no time and you would never know there was a storm.

Santa Marta early morning

• The floor is warm on your bare feet.
• Warm breeze through the window.
• 7:00 am is a good time for a morning swim, all year.
• Sleep, one light sheet.
• A fan will not keep you cool enough, air conditioning is better, some nights feel hotter than during the day.

One thing I did notice though is when the sun goes behind a cloud here, you don't feel a change in temperature, I noticed this right away as I grew up in a northern climate with moderate summers and cold winters. Back then, if the sun went behind a cloud the temperature dropped right away, when the sun came back out it was warm again.

High Vacation Season

• Mid December to end of January
• Easter

• End of June till the end of August

• Rest of the year

I think it would be safe to say that if you planned to stay in Santa Marta for two weeks the temperatures would not drop much below 25˚C, anything lower would be considered unusual.

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