Puerto Plata in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Puerto Plata sees average daytime highs around 27°C and overnight lows near 21°C, with 167 mm of rain over about 32 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the 3rd-wettest season.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 27°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 62% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels muggy.
Winter is Puerto Plata's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. Puerto Plata 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 Puerto Plata's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 27°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 21°C
- Rainfall
- 167 mm
- 32 wet days
- Avg wind
- 14 km/h
- Travel score
- 6.8
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Puerto Plata in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 27°C.
A typical winter day in Puerto Plata reaches about 27°C and drops to 21°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is December, the coolest February.
How winter really feels in Puerto Plata
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
winter sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Puerto Plata 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 | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27° / 21° | 61 | 11.1 | 10.9 | 6.8 |
| Feb | 27° / 21° | 44 | 8.8 | 11.3 | 7.0 |
| Mar | 28° / 21° | 62 | 10.5 | 11.9 | 6.7 |
| Apr | 28° / 22° | 62 | 12.2 | 12.4 | 5.9 |
| May | 29° / 23° | 84 | 15.9 | 12.9 | 4.7 |
| Jun | 30° / 24° | 42 | 10 | 13.2 | 4.7 |
| Jul | 31° / 25° | 35 | 9.7 | 13.1 | 4.9 |
| Aug | 31° / 25° | 46 | 10.7 | 12.7 | 4.6 |
| Sep | 31° / 25° | 76 | 15.6 | 12.1 | 4.0 |
| Oct | 30° / 24° | 83 | 16 | 11.5 | 4.4 |
| Nov | 28° / 23° | 87 | 15.5 | 11.1 | 5.3 |
| Dec | 27° / 22° | 63 | 11.9 | 10.8 | 6.5 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 62% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Puerto Plata gets around 167 mm of rain over 32 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 14 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 10 h 54 min in early December to 11 h 36 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 4.6 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Puerto Plata
None of Puerto Plata's seasonal hazards peak in winter. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do.
Puerto Plata sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
Is winter a good time to visit Puerto Plata?
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 reasonable time to visit Puerto Plata for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Puerto Plata in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Puerto Plata sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 32 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Puerto Plata in Winter
The nearest coast averages about 27°C across winter — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea offshore is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in February near 26°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | Warm |
| Feb | 26 | Warm |
| Mar | 26 | Warm |
| Apr | 26 | Warm |
| May | 27 | Warm |
| Jun | 28 | Warm |
| Jul | 28 | Tropical |
| Aug | 28 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 28 | Tropical |
| Dec | 27 | Warm |
UV index in Puerto Plata in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Puerto Plata peaks around March 22 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 7 (high).
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) | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Level | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Very high |
| Feb | 10 | Very high |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 10 | Very high |
| Nov | 7 | Very high |
| Dec | 7 | High |
Air quality in Puerto Plata 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 Puerto Plata is worst in June — around 30 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (February, 16 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 17 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 23 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 20 | 17 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17 | Moderate |
| Feb | 16 | Moderate |
| Mar | 16 | Moderate |
| Apr | 18 | Moderate |
| May | 23 | Moderate |
| Jun | 30 | Moderate |
| Jul | 28 | Moderate |
| Aug | 25 | Moderate |
| Sep | 26 | Moderate |
| Oct | 27 | Moderate |
| Nov | 20 | Moderate |
| Dec | 17 | Moderate |
Where is Puerto Plata?
Puerto Plata sits at 19.8°N, 70.7°W, 34 m above sea level, in Dominican Republic. The nearest listed city is Monte Llano, 11 km away.
Topography around Puerto Plata
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Puerto Plata.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Puerto Plata has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 468 m around an average of 45 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 787 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,369 m.
The land around Puerto Plata is covered by water (41%), artificial surfaces (30%) and trees (26%) within 3 km, water (46%) and trees (38%) within 16 km, and trees (43%) and water (36%) within 80 km.
Dominican Republic travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / B / C
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 39% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $11,059
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.1 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 45%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 10.9
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 64.6
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Moderate
- EF EPI 503
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 Puerto Plata (19.7934°, -70.6884°, elevation 34 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.