Manizales in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Manizales sees average daytime highs around 20°C and overnight lows near 11°C, with 2447 mm of rain over about 89 wet days across the season. It is the 2nd-warmest season and the driest season of the year.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 20°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels dry.
Winter is Manizales's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. Manizales has little temperature swing across the year, so its calendar seasons blur — the season framing matters less here than for a place with four distinct seasons. For the whole year in context, see Manizales's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 20°C
- 2nd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 11°C
- Rainfall
- 2447 mm
- 89 wet days
- Avg wind
- 4 km/h
- Travel score
- 3.2
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Manizales in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 20°C.
A typical winter day in Manizales reaches about 20°C and drops to 11°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest January.
Manizales weather by month
How the three winter months (December, January and February) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20° / 11° | 719 | 30.4 | 0 | 11.7 | 3.3 |
| Feb | 20° / 11° | 851 | 27.5 | 0 | 11.8 | 3.2 |
| Mar | 20° / 11° | 1184 | 30.4 | 0 | 12 | 3.2 |
| Apr | 20° / 11° | 1385 | 29.8 | 0.1 | 12.1 | 3.1 |
| May | 20° / 11° | 1574 | 30.9 | 0 | 12.2 | 3.1 |
| Jun | 20° / 11° | 1795 | 30 | 0 | 12.3 | 3.1 |
| Jul | 20° / 10° | 1885 | 31 | 0 | 12.3 | 3.1 |
| Aug | 20° / 10° | 1806 | 31 | 0.2 | 12.2 | 3.1 |
| Sep | 20° / 10° | 1512 | 30 | 0.5 | 12 | 3.1 |
| Oct | 20° / 11° | 1146 | 30.7 | 0.1 | 11.9 | 3.1 |
| Nov | 20° / 11° | 917 | 29.7 | 0 | 11.8 | 3.1 |
| Dec | 20° / 11° | 877 | 30.6 | 0 | 11.7 | 3.2 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 2% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Manizales gets around 2447 mm of rain over 89 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 4 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 11 h 42 min in early December to 11 h 54 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Winter
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 4.8 kWh/m².
Is winter a good time to visit Manizales?
Our two travel scores rate winter for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
winter is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Manizales.
What to pack for Manizales in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Manizales sees daytime highs around 20°C and nights near 11°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 89 days see rain.
UV index in Manizales in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Manizales peaks around February 17 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 12 (extreme).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 13 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | Extreme |
| Feb | 15 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 13 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 14 | Extreme |
| Oct | 14 | Extreme |
| Nov | 12 | Extreme |
| Dec | 12 | Extreme |
Air quality in Manizales in Winter
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where winter falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Manizales is worst in March — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.
Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Manizales's WHO annual average of 18 µg/m³.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 18 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 17 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18 | Moderate |
| Feb | 21 | Moderate |
| Mar | 22 | Moderate |
| Apr | 20 | Moderate |
| May | 18 | Moderate |
| Jun | 17 | Moderate |
| Jul | 17 | Moderate |
| Aug | 19 | Moderate |
| Sep | 18 | Moderate |
| Oct | 15 | Moderate |
| Nov | 14 | Moderate |
| Dec | 17 | Moderate |
Where is Manizales?
Manizales sits at 5.1°N, 75.5°W, 2,144 m above sea level, in Colombia. The nearest listed city is Villamaría, 3.0 km away.
Topography around Manizales
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Manizales.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Manizales has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 588 m around an average of 2,043 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,950 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 5,042 m.
The land around Manizales is covered by trees (46%) and artificial surfaces (44%) within 3 km, trees (70%) and grassland (26%) within 16 km, and trees (68%) and grassland (29%) within 80 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
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 Manizales (5.0668°, -75.5068°, elevation 2,144 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.