Grand-Bassam in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Grand-Bassam sees average daytime highs around 28°C and overnight lows near 26°C, with 164 mm of rain over about 49 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 28°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Winter is Grand-Bassam's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. Grand-Bassam 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 Grand-Bassam's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 28°C
- 2nd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 26°C
- Rainfall
- 164 mm
- 49 wet days
- Avg wind
- 12 km/h
- Travel score
- 5.5
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Grand-Bassam in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 28°C.
A typical winter day in Grand-Bassam reaches about 28°C and drops to 26°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Grand-Bassam
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 31 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in winter is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Grand-Bassam 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 | 28° / 26° | 47 | 13.7 | 11.7 | 6.0 |
| Feb | 28° / 26° | 55 | 16.3 | 11.8 | 5.2 |
| Mar | 28° / 26° | 78 | 20.2 | 12 | 4.4 |
| Apr | 28° / 26° | 103 | 21.9 | 12.1 | 4.1 |
| May | 28° / 26° | 206 | 27.9 | 12.2 | 3.6 |
| Jun | 27° / 25° | 250 | 27.3 | 12.3 | 3.8 |
| Jul | 25° / 24° | 129 | 19.8 | 12.3 | 5.1 |
| Aug | 25° / 24° | 64 | 14.3 | 12.2 | 5.9 |
| Sep | 25° / 24° | 88 | 18.3 | 12 | 5.3 |
| Oct | 26° / 25° | 107 | 24.3 | 11.9 | 4.5 |
| Nov | 28° / 25° | 93 | 24.2 | 11.8 | 4.3 |
| Dec | 28° / 26° | 63 | 18.9 | 11.7 | 5.3 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Grand-Bassam gets around 164 mm of rain over 49 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 12 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 5.1 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Grand-Bassam
In winter, Grand-Bassam overlaps its dust season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Grand-Bassam's rainy season runs May–July, when most of the year's rain falls.
Grand-Bassam sees seasonal dust haze (January–February), heaviest in February.
Is winter a good time to visit Grand-Bassam?
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 Grand-Bassam for sightseeing.
What to pack for Grand-Bassam in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Grand-Bassam sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 49 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Grand-Bassam in Winter
The nearest coast averages about 28°C across winter — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 16 km away) is warmest in April at about 28°C and coldest in August near 24°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) | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 28 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Warm | Refreshing | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 28 | Warm |
| Mar | 28 | Tropical |
| Apr | 28 | Tropical |
| May | 28 | Tropical |
| Jun | 27 | Warm |
| Jul | 25 | Warm |
| Aug | 24 | Refreshing |
| Sep | 24 | Warm |
| Oct | 26 | Warm |
| Nov | 28 | Tropical |
| Dec | 28 | Tropical |
UV index in Grand-Bassam in Winter
Clear-sky midday UV across winter averages around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Grand-Bassam peaks around April 12 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 16 at about 8 (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 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Very high |
| Feb | 12 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Extreme |
| Jul | 8 | Very high |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 11 | Extreme |
| Nov | 10 | Very high |
| Dec | 9 | Very high |
Air quality in Grand-Bassam 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 Grand-Bassam is worst in January — around 72 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 3.3× the cleanest month (August, 22 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) | 72 | 61 | 42 | 40 | 29 | 27 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 27 | 36 | 61 |
| Level | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Unhealthy |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 72 | Unhealthy |
| Feb | 61 | Unhealthy |
| Mar | 42 | Poor |
| Apr | 40 | Poor |
| May | 29 | Moderate |
| Jun | 27 | Moderate |
| Jul | 25 | Moderate |
| Aug | 22 | Moderate |
| Sep | 22 | Moderate |
| Oct | 27 | Moderate |
| Nov | 36 | Poor |
| Dec | 61 | Unhealthy |
Where is Grand-Bassam?
Grand-Bassam sits at 5.2°N, 3.7°W, 7 m above sea level, in Ivory Coast. The nearest listed city is Bonoua, 17 km away.
Topography around Grand-Bassam
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Grand-Bassam.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Grand-Bassam has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 14 m around an average of 3 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 98 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 201 m.
The land around Grand-Bassam is covered by artificial surfaces (29%), grassland (22%) and water (21%) within 3 km, water (49%) and trees (34%) within 16 km, and trees (55%) and water (38%) within 80 km.
Ivory Coast travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type C / E
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 37% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $3,050
- 2025
- Happiness
- 5.1 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 36%
- of population, 2024
- Road deaths
- 24.1
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 393
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 Grand-Bassam (5.2118°, -3.7388°, elevation 7 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.