Cartago weather in January

In January, Cartago sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 291 mm of rain across 28.4 wet days and about 11.8 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 3% of the time in January, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 42 min at the start of January to 11 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Cartago's 1st-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Cartago's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
18°
7th coldest
Rainfall
291 mm
28.4 wet days
Daylight
11 h 48 min
6:20 AM – 6:06 PM
Cloud cover
81%
1st clearest
Wind
3 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
4.04 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.8
out of 10

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month.

A typical January day in Cartago reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 28°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12618
22618
32618
42618
52618
62618
72618
82618
92618
102618
112618
122618
132618
142618
152618
162618
172618
182618
192618
202618
212618
222618
232618
242618
252618
262618
272618
282618
292618
302618
312618

Cartago weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 2nd-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 18°29128.411.83.8
Feb26° / 18°33426.311.83.6
Mar26° / 18°43530.2123.5
Apr25° / 18°51729.712.13.4
May25° / 18°47730.512.23.4
Jun25° / 18°35129.312.33.4
Jul26° / 18°29329.312.23.5
Aug26° / 18°31729.712.23.5
Sep26° / 18°39729123.4
Oct25° / 18°47530.411.93.4
Nov25° / 18°50629.411.83.5
Dec25° / 18°36529.611.73.6

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 3% of the time in January, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 8% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 89%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11387
21387
31387
41387
51288
61288
71288
81288
91288
101189
111090
121090
131090
141090
151090
161090
17991
18991
19991
201090
211090
221090
231090
241090
251090
261090
271189
281189
291189
301189
311189

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Cartago gets around 291 mm of rain over 28.4 wet days in January, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 91% and peaks near 92% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%100%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
192
292
391
491
591
691
791
891
992
1092
1192
1292
1392
1492
1592
1692
1792
1892
1992
2092
2192
2291
2391
2491
2591
2691
2791
2891
2991
3091
3191

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the muggy band about 91% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 91% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
111890
211890
311890
410900
510900
610900
79910
89910
99910
109910
118920
128920
138920
148920
158920
168920
178920
188911
198911
208911
218911
228911
239901
249901
259901
269901
279901
289901
299901
309892
319892

Wind in January

Winds average 3 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 3 km/h on the calmest days to 3 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
13calm
23calm
33calm
43calm
53calm
63calm
73calm
83calm
93calm
103calm
113calm
123calm
133calm
143calm
153calm
163calm
173calm
183calm
193calm
203calm
213calm
223calm
233calm
243calm
253calm
263calm
273calm
283calm
293calm
303calm
313calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min at the start of January to 11 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 6 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:15 AM to 6:23 AM, and sunset from 5:59 PM to 6:11 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.76:155:59
211.76:155:59
311.76:166:00
411.76:166:00
511.76:176:01
611.76:176:01
711.76:176:02
811.76:186:02
911.76:186:02
1011.76:186:03
1111.76:196:03
1211.76:196:04
1311.76:196:04
1411.76:206:05
1511.86:206:05
1611.86:206:06
1711.86:216:06
1811.86:216:06
1911.86:216:07
2011.86:216:07
2111.86:226:07
2211.86:226:08
2311.86:226:08
2411.86:226:09
2511.86:226:09
2611.86:236:09
2711.86:236:10
2811.86:236:10
2911.86:236:10
3011.86:236:10
3111.86:236:11

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 4.04 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.43 kWh/m² to a high of 4.32 kWh/m² in August across the year — January's 4.04 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.9Moderate
23.9Moderate
33.9Moderate
43.9Moderate
53.9Moderate
63.9Moderate
73.9Moderate
83.9Moderate
93.9Moderate
103.9Moderate
114.0Moderate
124.0Moderate
134.0Moderate
144.0Moderate
154.0Moderate
164.0Bright
174.0Bright
184.0Bright
194.0Bright
204.1Bright
214.1Bright
224.1Bright
234.1Bright
244.1Bright
254.2Bright
264.2Bright
274.2Bright
284.2Bright
294.2Bright
304.2Bright
314.2Bright
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Cartago?

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

3.8
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
3.6
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Cartago.

What to pack for Cartago in January

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

In January, Cartago sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 18°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes. About 28 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothes

UV index in Cartago in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Cartago peaks around February 21 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 11 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeFeb 21UV 15Dec 16UV 11
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb15Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr13Extreme
May14Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct13Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec11Extreme

Air quality in Cartago in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Cartago is worst in March — around 35 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.8× the cleanest month (July, 19 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateMar 1534 µg/m³Jul 1519 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan28Moderate
Feb32Moderate
Mar35Moderate
Apr30Moderate
May24Moderate
Jun21Moderate
Jul19Moderate
Aug22Moderate
Sep25Moderate
Oct23Moderate
Nov22Moderate
Dec26Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Cartago?

Cartago sits at 4.7°N, 75.9°W, 915 m above sea level, in Colombia. The nearest listed city is La Virginia, 17 km away.

Topography around Cartago

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Cartago has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 191 m around an average of 936 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 886 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,236 m.

The land around Cartago is covered by grassland (43%), trees (27%) and artificial surfaces (24%) within 3 km, grassland (55%) and trees (30%) within 16 km, and trees (70%) and grassland (26%) within 80 km.

3 km
191 m
16 km
886 m
80 km
5,236 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: La Virginia 17 km · Quimbaya 21 km · Pereira 25 km · Montenegro 27 km · Marsella 29 km · Dosquebradas 29 km · La Unión 32 km · Circasia 34 km

Colombia travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 / 240 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 38% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$8,562
2025
Happiness
6.0 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
74%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
24.9
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
15.4
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Low
EF EPI 480
Religion
Roman Catholic 64%Protestant 17%none 14%atheist 1%

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 Cartago (4.7464°, -75.9117°, elevation 915 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. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).