La Paz weather in January

In January, La Paz sees average daytime highs of 14°C and overnight lows near 5°C, with 132 mm of precipitation across 26.4 wet days and about 12.9 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 1st-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 14°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 1% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 hours at the start of January to 12 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is La Paz's 12th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see La Paz's year-round climate.

Daytime high
14°
10th warmest
Overnight low
11th coldest
Precipitation
132 mm
26.4 wet days
Daylight
12 h 54 min
6:15 AM – 7:08 PM
Cloud cover
88%
12th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
6.13 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.4
out of 10

La Paz is seat of government of Bolivia.

Air quality
High
PM10 82 µg/m³ · 2013
Density
10,706/km²
people per km²
Founded
1548

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 14°C through the month.

A typical January day in La Paz reaches about 14°C in the afternoon and slips back to 5°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 11°C and 16°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 1°C cooler than December and on par with February.

10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1145
2145
3145
4145
5145
6145
7145
8145
9145
10145
11145
12145
13145
14145
15145
16145
17145
18145
19145
20145
21145
22145
23145
24145
25145
26144
27144
28144
29144
30144
31144

How January really feels in La Paz

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

La Paz weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 10th-warmest and 1st-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan14° / 13226.40.812.92.4
Feb14° / 11523.20.612.62.4
Mar14° / 8923.40.512.12.7
Apr14° / 4313.80.311.63.8
May15° / 165.40.511.25.0
Jun14° / -2°113.60.8114.9
Jul14° / -2°144.41.411.14.8
Aug14° / -1°216.91.411.44.8
Sep15° / 3612.5111.94.5
Oct16° / 5516.11.112.44.1
Nov16° / 5716.20.412.84.0
Dec15° / 11222.80.7133.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 1% of the time in January, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 6% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 93%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1595
2595
3595
4595
5595
6595
7595
8694
9694
10694
11694
12694
13694
14793
15793
16793
17892
18892
19991
20991
21991
22991
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
29991
30991
31991

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

La Paz gets around 132 mm of rain and snow over 26.4 wet days in January, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 85% and peaks near 87% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1873
2873
3873
4863
5863
6863
7853
8853
9853
10853
11853
12853
13854
14854
15854
16854
17854
18854
19853
20853
21853
22853
23843
24842
25832
26832
27822
28822
29821
30811
31812

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of January feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, January lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in January

Winds average 6 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 hours at the start of January to 12 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 18 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:07 AM to 6:24 AM, and sunset from 7:05 PM to 7:08 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.06:077:05
213.06:077:05
313.06:087:05
413.06:087:06
513.06:097:06
612.96:107:06
712.96:107:07
812.96:117:07
912.96:117:07
1012.96:127:07
1112.96:127:08
1212.96:137:08
1312.96:147:08
1412.96:147:08
1512.96:157:08
1612.96:157:08
1712.96:167:09
1812.96:177:09
1912.96:177:09
2012.96:187:09
2112.86:187:09
2212.86:197:09
2312.86:197:09
2412.86:207:09
2512.86:207:09
2612.86:217:09
2712.86:227:09
2812.86:227:09
2912.86:237:08
3012.86:237:08
3112.76:247:08

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 6.13 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 5.25 kWh/m² to a high of 7.08 kWh/m² in November across the year — January's 6.13 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.1Intense
26.1Intense
36.1Intense
46.1Intense
56.1Intense
66.1Intense
76.1Intense
86.1Intense
96.1Intense
106.1Intense
116.1Intense
126.1Intense
136.1Intense
146.1Intense
156.1Intense
166.1Intense
176.1Intense
186.1Intense
196.2Intense
206.2Intense
216.2Intense
226.2Intense
236.2Intense
246.2Intense
256.2Intense
266.2Intense
276.2Intense
286.2Intense
296.2Intense
306.2Intense
316.2Intense
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for La Paz

In seasonPeak

In January, La Paz sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

La Paz's rainy season runs December–March, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit La Paz?

Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

2.4
Sightseeing
11th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in La Paz.

What to pack for La Paz in January

From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In January, La Paz sees daytime highs around 14°C and nights near 5°C. Pack rain gear and sun protection. Worth having: a warm layer. About 26 days see rain.

rain gearsun protectiona warm layer

UV index in La Paz in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 18 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in La Paz peaks around February 8 at about 18 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 11 at about 9 (very high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highExtremeFeb 8UV 18Jul 11UV 9
UV index (midday)Level
Jan18Extreme
Feb19Extreme
Mar17Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun10Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug13Extreme
Sep14Extreme
Oct16Extreme
Nov17Extreme
Dec17Extreme
Location & terrain

Where is La Paz?

La Paz sits at 16.5°S, 68.2°W, 3,782 m above sea level, in Bolivia. The nearest listed city is Achocalla, 8.0 km away.

CaranaviSorataCopacabanaQuime

Topography around La Paz

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of La Paz.

Within 3 km, the terrain around La Paz has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 670 m around an average of 3,872 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,225 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,726 m.

The land around La Paz is covered by artificial surfaces (83%) within 3 km, grassland (54%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 16 km, and grassland (57%) and trees (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
670 m
16 km
2,225 m
80 km
5,726 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewater
January weather nearby: Achocalla 8.0 km · Viacha 23 km · Laja 25 km · Tiahuanaco 57 km · Caranavi 97 km · Sorata 97 km · Copacabana 106 km · Quime 113 km

Bolivia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B / C
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 40% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,148
2025
Happiness
5.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
4.4
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
21.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Lower middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 521
Religion
Roman Catholic 65%Protestant 20%none 6%other 5%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for La Paz (-16.5°, -68.15°, elevation 3,782 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).