Paraíso weather in January

In January, Paraíso sees average daytime highs of 20°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 62 mm of rain across 8.9 wet days and about 11.5 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 20°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 24 min at the start of January to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Paraíso's 2nd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Paraíso's year-round climate.

Daytime high
20°
12th warmest
Overnight low
12°
2nd coldest
Rainfall
62 mm
8.9 wet days
Daylight
11 h 30 min
6:00 AM – 5:29 PM
Cloud cover
54%
2nd clearest
Wind
7 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
5.05 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.5
out of 10

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 20°C through the month.

A typical January day in Paraíso reaches about 20°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°C and 21°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12012
22012
32012
42012
52012
62012
72012
82012
92012
102012
112012
122012
132012
142012
152012
162012
172012
182012
192012
202012
212012
222012
232012
242012
252012
262012
272012
282012
292012
302012
312012

Paraíso weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan20° / 12°628.911.56.5
Feb20° / 12°457.111.76.8
Mar21° / 12°438.911.96.7
Apr22° / 13°6711.812.26.0
May22° / 14°33124.912.44.0
Jun21° / 15°29626.812.63.7
Jul21° / 14°21526.212.53.8
Aug21° / 14°25426.812.33.7
Sep21° / 14°34327.312.13.6
Oct21° / 14°42528.611.83.5
Nov20° / 14°27422.811.54.2
Dec20° / 13°11714.111.45.6

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 32% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 26% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 42%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15446
25545
35446
45446
55446
65446
75446
85446
95446
105446
115446
125446
135545
145545
155644
165644
175743
185842
195842
205941
216139
226139
236238
246337
256436
266535
276535
286634
296733
306733
316832

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Paraíso gets around 62 mm of rain over 8.9 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 29% and peaks near 35% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
135
234
334
433
533
632
732
832
931
1031
1131
1231
1330
1430
1530
1630
1729
1829
1929
2029
2128
2228
2327
2426
2526
2625
2725
2824
2924
3024
3124

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 69% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
154451
256440
357430
457430
559410
660400
761390
862380
963370
1065350
1166340
1267330
1368320
1469310
1571290
1672280
1772280
1873270
1974260
2074260
2175250
2275250
2376240
2476240
2576240
2676240
2776240
2876240
2976240
3076240
3176240

Wind in January

Winds average 7 km/h in January, the windiest month of the year.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
107calm
117calm
127calm
137calm
147calm
157calm
167calm
177calm
187calm
197calm
207calm
217calm
227calm
237calm
247calm
257calm
267calm
277calm
287calm
297calm
307calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 min at the start of January to 11 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 12 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 5:56 AM to 6:02 AM, and sunset from 5:22 PM to 5:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.45:565:22
211.45:565:22
311.45:565:23
411.45:575:23
511.45:575:24
611.45:575:24
711.45:585:25
811.55:585:25
911.55:585:26
1011.55:595:26
1111.55:595:27
1211.55:595:27
1311.56:005:28
1411.56:005:28
1511.56:005:29
1611.56:005:29
1711.56:005:30
1811.56:015:30
1911.56:015:31
2011.56:015:31
2111.56:015:32
2211.56:015:32
2311.56:015:33
2411.56:025:33
2511.56:025:33
2611.56:025:34
2711.56:025:34
2811.56:025:35
2911.66:025:35
3011.66:025:35
3111.66:025:36

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 5.05 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.75 kWh/m² to a high of 5.97 kWh/m² in March across the year — January's 5.05 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.8Bright
24.8Bright
34.8Bright
44.8Bright
54.8Bright
64.8Bright
74.8Bright
84.9Bright
94.9Bright
104.9Bright
114.9Bright
125.0Bright
135.0Bright
145.0Bright
155.0Bright
165.0Bright
175.1Bright
185.1Bright
195.1Bright
205.1Bright
215.2Bright
225.2Bright
235.2Bright
245.2Bright
255.3Bright
265.3Bright
275.3Bright
285.3Bright
295.4Bright
305.4Bright
315.4Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Paraíso

In seasonPeak

None of Paraíso's seasonal hazards are active in January. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Paraíso's rainy season runs May–November, 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 Paraíso?

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

6.5
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
3.3
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Paraíso for sightseeing.

What to pack for Paraíso in January

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

In January, Paraíso sees daytime highs around 20°C and nights near 12°C. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 9 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Paraíso in January

The nearest coast averages about 29°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 59 km away) is warmest in March at about 30°C and coldest in November near 28°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°32°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan29Tropical
Feb29Tropical
Mar30Tropical
Apr30Tropical
May29Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct28Tropical
Nov28Warm
Dec28Tropical

UV index in Paraíso 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 Paraíso peaks around March 19 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 16 at about 10 (extreme).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeMar 19UV 15Dec 16UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar15Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov12Extreme
Dec10Extreme

Air quality in Paraíso 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 Paraíso is worst in May — around 19 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.1× the cleanest month (January, 9 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodMay 1718 µg/m³Jan 149 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb10Good
Mar11Good
Apr17Moderate
May19Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov12Good
Dec10Good
Location & terrain

Where is Paraíso?

Paraíso sits at 9.8°N, 83.9°W, 1,306 m above sea level, in Costa Rica. The nearest listed city is Cartago, 6.0 km away.

TurrialbaSan MiguelIpísPurral

Topography around Paraíso

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Paraíso has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 602 m around an average of 1,311 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,753 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,764 m.

The land around Paraíso is covered by trees (49%) and grassland (35%) within 3 km, trees (70%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and trees (75%) within 80 km.

3 km
602 m
16 km
2,753 m
80 km
3,764 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
January weather nearby: Cartago 6.0 km · San Diego 16 km · Patarrá 19 km · Curridabat 20 km · Turrialba 21 km · San Miguel 22 km · Ipís 22 km · Purral 22 km

Costa Rica travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 59% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$19,970
2025
Happiness
7.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
81%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
17.7
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
14.8
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 516
Religion
Roman Catholic 48%none 27%Evangelical and Pentecostal 20%other 3%

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 Paraíso (9.8385°, -83.8666°, elevation 1,306 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).