Climate and average weather in Copán Ruinas
In Copán Ruinas, the weather is humid, hot, wet, and mostly cloudy and remarkably steady, with daytime highs holding near hot levels all year. The wettest stretch peaks around September.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Copán Ruinas typically varies from 15°C to 29°C, and is rarely below 12°C or above 32°C. May is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Copán Ruinas for warm-weather activities are from early January to mid April and late November to late December.
- Hottest
- May
- 29°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 15°
- Wettest
- Sep
- 310 mm
- Driest
- Mar
- 35 mm
- Rain / yr
- 1732 mm
- 229 wet days
- Daylight
- 11.1–12.9 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 0 m
- 14.8°N
- Clearest
- Mar
- 48% cloud
Copán Ruinas is human settlement in Honduras.
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Copán Ruinas weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early January to mid April.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Copán Ruinas, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Copán Ruinas stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is May, with an average high of 29°C and low of 19°C; the coolest is January, with an average low of 15°C and high of 23°C.
Days typically run about 8°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 10°C) in April.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 23 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 23 |
| Avg low (°C) | 15 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 15 |
| Feb | 24 | 16 |
| Mar | 26 | 16 |
| Apr | 28 | 18 |
| May | 29 | 19 |
| Jun | 28 | 19 |
| Jul | 26 | 19 |
| Aug | 27 | 19 |
| Sep | 27 | 19 |
| Oct | 26 | 18 |
| Nov | 24 | 17 |
| Dec | 23 | 16 |
Average hourly temperature in Copán Ruinas
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on May afternoons, near 29°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 15°C.
Copán Ruinas weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23° / 15° | 59 | 15.4 | 11.2 | 5.9 |
| Feb | 24° / 16° | 38 | 10.9 | 11.5 | 6.7 |
| Mar | 26° / 16° | 35 | 9.9 | 11.9 | 6.8 |
| Apr | 28° / 18° | 49 | 10.7 | 12.3 | 5.8 |
| May | 29° / 19° | 170 | 20 | 12.7 | 4.3 |
| Jun | 28° / 19° | 288 | 26.1 | 12.9 | 3.7 |
| Jul | 26° / 19° | 207 | 26.1 | 12.8 | 4.1 |
| Aug | 27° / 19° | 227 | 26.1 | 12.5 | 4.0 |
| Sep | 27° / 19° | 310 | 27.3 | 12.1 | 3.7 |
| Oct | 26° / 18° | 200 | 24 | 11.7 | 4.4 |
| Nov | 24° / 17° | 93 | 17.1 | 11.3 | 5.5 |
| Dec | 23° / 16° | 56 | 15.7 | 11.1 | 5.8 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Copán Ruinas gets about 1732 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is very wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 5.7 months, from around May 16 to Nov 6, peaking in September at about 91% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Mar 28.
September is the wettest month by volume, with 310 mm over about 27 wet days; March is the driest, with 35 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 49 | 40 | 32 | 36 | 65 | 86 | 84 | 85 | 90 | 78 | 58 | 51 |
| Rain days | 15 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 20 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 17 | 16 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 15 |
| Feb | 40 | 11 |
| Mar | 32 | 10 |
| Apr | 36 | 11 |
| May | 65 | 20 |
| Jun | 86 | 26 |
| Jul | 84 | 26 |
| Aug | 85 | 26 |
| Sep | 90 | 27 |
| Oct | 78 | 24 |
| Nov | 58 | 17 |
| Dec | 51 | 16 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Copán Ruinas collects about 1732 mm of rain across 229 wet days — roughly 144 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. September is the wettest month with 310 mm, while March is the driest at just 35 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 48% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 59 | 38 | 35 | 49 | 170 | 288 | 207 | 227 | 310 | 200 | 93 | 56 |
| Rain days | 15 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 20 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 24 | 17 | 16 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 15 |
| Feb | 38 | 11 |
| Mar | 35 | 10 |
| Apr | 49 | 11 |
| May | 170 | 20 |
| Jun | 288 | 26 |
| Jul | 207 | 26 |
| Aug | 227 | 26 |
| Sep | 310 | 27 |
| Oct | 200 | 24 |
| Nov | 93 | 17 |
| Dec | 56 | 16 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Copán Ruinas, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around December 9 and lasts for 5.0 months, ending around May 10. The clearest month is March, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 68% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around May 11 and lasts for 7.0 months, ending around December 8. The cloudiest month is September, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 90% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 41 | 57 | 68 | 60 | 26 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 27 | 33 |
| Cloudier (%) | 59 | 43 | 32 | 40 | 74 | 89 | 83 | 83 | 90 | 85 | 73 | 67 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 59 |
| Feb | 57 | 43 |
| Mar | 68 | 32 |
| Apr | 60 | 40 |
| May | 26 | 74 |
| Jun | 11 | 89 |
| Jul | 17 | 83 |
| Aug | 17 | 83 |
| Sep | 10 | 90 |
| Oct | 15 | 85 |
| Nov | 27 | 73 |
| Dec | 33 | 67 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 9, brings about 12 h 54 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 11 h 06 min — a swing of roughly 1 h 48 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.2 | 11.5 | 11.9 | 12.3 | 12.7 | 12.9 | 12.8 | 12.5 | 12.1 | 11.7 | 11.3 | 11.1 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:30 | 6:26 | 6:09 | 5:47 | 5:32 | 5:31 | 5:38 | 5:46 | 5:48 | 5:52 | 6:03 | 6:19 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:42 | 5:56 | 6:03 | 6:07 | 6:13 | 6:23 | 6:26 | 6:16 | 5:53 | 5:31 | 5:21 | 5:27 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11.2 | 6:30 | 5:42 |
| Feb | 11.5 | 6:26 | 5:56 |
| Mar | 11.9 | 6:09 | 6:03 |
| Apr | 12.3 | 5:47 | 6:07 |
| May | 12.7 | 5:32 | 6:13 |
| Jun | 12.9 | 5:31 | 6:23 |
| Jul | 12.8 | 5:38 | 6:26 |
| Aug | 12.5 | 5:46 | 6:16 |
| Sep | 12.1 | 5:48 | 5:53 |
| Oct | 11.7 | 5:52 | 5:31 |
| Nov | 11.3 | 6:03 | 5:21 |
| Dec | 11.1 | 6:19 | 5:27 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Copán Ruinas averages about 4 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 0 and 12 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.1 months, from around Dec 4 to May 7. The sunniest month is March, with roughly 12 sunny days (mixed).
The greyest month is September, down near 0 sunny days — about 96% fewer than the March peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 7 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 9 | Mixed |
| Mar | 12 | Mixed |
| Apr | 9 | Mixed |
| May | 3 | Gloomy |
| Jun | 1 | Gloomy |
| Jul | 1 | Gloomy |
| Aug | 1 | Gloomy |
| Sep | 0 | Gloomy |
| Oct | 1 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 3 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 5 | Gloomy |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Copán Ruinas, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 6.6 months, from around April 20 to November 5. The muggiest month is June, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 100% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around November 6 to April 19, and January is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 31% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Comfortable (%) | 25 | 21 | 18 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 19 |
| Humid (%) | 64 | 72 | 61 | 49 | 21 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 44 | 60 |
| Muggy (%) | 5 | 5 | 17 | 40 | 75 | 95 | 95 | 97 | 97 | 79 | 41 | 17 |
| Oppressive (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | 25 | 64 | 5 | 0 |
| Feb | 3 | 21 | 72 | 5 | 0 |
| Mar | 4 | 18 | 61 | 17 | 0 |
| Apr | 1 | 9 | 49 | 40 | 0 |
| May | 0 | 2 | 21 | 75 | 1 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 | 4 | 95 | 1 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 | 5 | 95 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 | 2 | 97 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 | 2 | 97 | 1 |
| Oct | 0 | 3 | 18 | 79 | 0 |
| Nov | 2 | 14 | 44 | 41 | 0 |
| Dec | 4 | 19 | 60 | 17 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Copán Ruinas is typically calm, near 7 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 6.0 months, from around Oct 29 to Apr 28. The windiest month is January, averaging about 8 km/h (calm).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Apr 29 to Oct 28, with September the calmest month at about 5 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | calm |
| Feb | 8 | calm |
| Mar | 8 | calm |
| Apr | 7 | calm |
| May | 6 | calm |
| Jun | 6 | calm |
| Jul | 6 | calm |
| Aug | 6 | calm |
| Sep | 5 | calm |
| Oct | 6 | calm |
| Nov | 8 | calm |
| Dec | 8 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Copán Ruinas
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Copán Ruinas's rainy season runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Copán Ruinas
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Copán Ruinas throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid April, Copán Ruinas is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Copán Ruinas for general outdoor tourist activities is from mid November to late April, with a peak score in the last week of February.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 6.0 | 6.6 | 6.8 | 5.8 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 5.5 | 5.8 |
| Rating | good | good | good | good | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | good | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.0 | good |
| Feb | 6.6 | good |
| Mar | 6.8 | good |
| Apr | 5.8 | good |
| May | 4.3 | fair |
| Jun | 3.8 | fair |
| Jul | 4.1 | fair |
| Aug | 4.0 | fair |
| Sep | 3.7 | fair |
| Oct | 4.4 | fair |
| Nov | 5.5 | good |
| Dec | 5.8 | good |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Copán Ruinas for hot-weather activities is from mid February to mid May, with a peak score in the first week of April.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Copán Ruinas, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
Copán Ruinas packs about the same all year — highs hold near 29°C. Across the year the things worth having are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection.
In May, Copán Ruinas sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 19°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 20 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in Copán Ruinas by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Copán Ruinas peaks around April 11 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 9 (very 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) | 10 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Very high |
| Feb | 13 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 12 | Extreme |
| Jun | 13 | Extreme |
| Jul | 13 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 10 | Very high |
| Dec | 9 | Very high |
Average hourly UV index in Copán Ruinas
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in April the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 7 | 6.5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | 5 |
| Feb | 7.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 8 | 6 |
| Apr | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| May | 8 | 6 |
| Jun | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Jul | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Aug | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Sep | 8 | 6 |
| Oct | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Nov | 7 | 4.5 |
| Dec | 6.5 | 4.5 |
Air quality in Copán Ruinas by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Copán Ruinas is worst in April — around 42 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 4.0× the cleanest month (December, 10 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) | 11 | 12 | 15 | 42 | 37 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 10 |
| Level | Good | Good | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Good |
| Feb | 12 | Good |
| Mar | 15 | Moderate |
| Apr | 42 | Poor |
| May | 37 | Poor |
| Jun | 22 | Moderate |
| Jul | 22 | Moderate |
| Aug | 18 | Moderate |
| Sep | 17 | Moderate |
| Oct | 14 | Moderate |
| Nov | 11 | Good |
| Dec | 10 | Good |
Growing season
Copán Ruinas is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Copán Ruinas banks about 4,255 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around May.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 275 | 278 | 350 | 395 | 426 | 399 | 389 | 396 | 388 | 370 | 303 | 286 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 275 |
| Feb | 278 |
| Mar | 350 |
| Apr | 395 |
| May | 426 |
| Jun | 399 |
| Jul | 389 |
| Aug | 396 |
| Sep | 388 |
| Oct | 370 |
| Nov | 303 |
| Dec | 286 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Copán Ruinas receives about 4.9 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.9 and 6.1 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 7.0 months, from around Feb 15 to Sep 15. The brightest month is April, averaging about 6.0 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 4.0 kWh/m² — roughly 34% less than the April peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 4.2 | 5.0 | 5.7 | 6.1 | 5.6 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Intense | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.2 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.0 | Bright |
| Mar | 5.7 | Bright |
| Apr | 6.1 | Intense |
| May | 5.6 | Bright |
| Jun | 5.1 | Bright |
| Jul | 5.2 | Bright |
| Aug | 5.3 | Bright |
| Sep | 4.9 | Bright |
| Oct | 4.3 | Bright |
| Nov | 4.0 | Moderate |
| Dec | 4.0 | Moderate |
Where is Copán Ruinas?
Copán Ruinas sits at 14.8°N, 89.2°W, 0 m above sea level, in Honduras. The nearest listed city is Esquipulas, 37 km away.
Topography around Copán Ruinas
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Copán Ruinas.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Copán Ruinas has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 550 m around an average of 710 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,064 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,990 m.
The land around Copán Ruinas is covered by trees (67%) within 3 km, trees (80%) within 16 km, and trees (66%) and grassland (21%) within 80 km.
Honduras travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 3
- Reconsider Travel
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 46% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $3,598
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.1 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 66%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 31.4
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 16.1
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- English
- High
- EF EPI 553
- 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 Copán Ruinas (14.8394°, -89.1558°, elevation 0 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).