Totonicapán in Winter

In winter (December, January and February), Totonicapán sees average daytime highs around 20°C and overnight lows near 9°C, with 34 mm of rain over about 9 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the driest season of the year.

Over the season highs climb from about 19°C in early December to 22°C by late February. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 50% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels dry.

Winter is Totonicapán's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Totonicapán's year-round climate.

Avg daytime high
20°C
coldest season of the year
Avg overnight low
9°C
Rainfall
34 mm
9 wet days
Avg wind
6 km/h
Travel score
7.7
best season of the year
Months
Dec · Jan · Feb

Temperature in Totonicapán in Winter

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Over the season highs climb from about 19°C in early December to 22°C by late February.

A typical winter day in Totonicapán reaches about 20°C and drops to 9°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest January.

10°15°20°25°30°DecJanFeb

Totonicapán 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.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan20° / 92.811.27.6
Feb21° / 82.311.58.1
Mar23° / 10°235.111.98.0
Apr24° / 11°601012.37.0
May23° / 12°17519.412.75.1
Jun21° / 13°28125.812.93.9
Jul21° / 12°15321.112.84.6
Aug21° / 12°18622.912.54.4
Sep21° / 12°26426.512.13.8
Oct20° / 12°18320.711.74.6
Nov20° / 11°428.211.36.4
Dec20° / 173.711.17.3

Cloud cover in Winter

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 50% of the time across winter.

0%25%50%75%100%DecJanFeb

Chance of precipitation in Winter

Any precipitation

Totonicapán gets around 34 mm of rain over 9 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

0%10%20%30%DecJanFeb

Humidity in Winter

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

0%25%50%75%100%DecJanFeb

Wind in Winter

Winds average 6 km/h across winter.

0246810DecJanFeb

Sunrise & sunset in Winter

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 12 min in early December to 11 h 42 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AMDecJanFeb

Solar energy in Winter

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across winter, about 5.2 kWh/m².

0246DecJanFeb
Planning a trip in winter

Hazard calendar for Totonicapán

In seasonPeak

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

Totonicapán's monsoon runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

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

Is winter a good time to visit Totonicapán?

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.

7.7
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
4.2
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

winter is one of the better times to visit Totonicapán for general sightseeing.

What to pack for Totonicapán in Winter

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

In winter, Totonicapán sees daytime highs around 20°C and nights near 9°C. Worth packing: sun protection. About 9 days see rain.

sun protection

UV index in Totonicapán in Winter

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 11 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Totonicapán peaks around April 14 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 14 at about 10 (very high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeVery highApr 14UV 15Dec 14UV 10
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Extreme
Feb14Extreme
Mar14Extreme
Apr15Extreme
May13Extreme
Jun13Extreme
Jul14Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep13Extreme
Oct12Extreme
Nov10Very high
Dec10Very high

Air quality in Totonicapán in Winter

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Totonicapán is worst in May — around 34 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

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

010203040JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateMay 934 µg/m³Aug 1622 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan23Moderate
Feb22Moderate
Mar25Moderate
Apr34Moderate
May34Moderate
Jun23Moderate
Jul23Moderate
Aug22Moderate
Sep23Moderate
Oct23Moderate
Nov23Moderate
Dec25Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Totonicapán?

Totonicapán sits at 14.9°N, 91.4°W, 2,499 m above sea level, in Guatemala. The nearest listed city is Nahualá, 9.0 km away.

Topography around Totonicapán

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Totonicapán has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 843 m around an average of 2,627 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,694 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,173 m.

The land around Totonicapán is covered by trees (47%) and cropland (29%) within 3 km, trees (65%) within 16 km, and trees (75%) within 80 km.

3 km
843 m
16 km
1,694 m
80 km
4,173 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
Winter weather nearby: Nahualá 9.0 km · San Francisco El Alto 10 km · Salcajá 11 km · San Andrés Xecul 13 km · Cantel 15 km · Momostenango 16 km · Quetzaltenango 19 km · La Esperanza 22 km

Guatemala travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 3
Reconsider Travel
Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 43% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$6,598
2025
Happiness
6.5 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
49%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
23.4
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
22.9
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 510
Religion
Evangelical 46%Roman Catholic 42%none 11%

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 Totonicapán (14.9119°, -91.3605°, elevation 2,499 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.