Climate and average weather in Cárdenas
In Cárdenas, the summers are hot, showery, and mostly clear and the winters are mild and partly cloudy.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Cárdenas typically varies from 10°C to 31°C, and is rarely below 6°C or above 36°C. May is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Cárdenas for warm-weather activities is from mid October to early April.
- Hottest
- May
- 31°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 10°
- Wettest
- Sep
- 141 mm
- Driest
- Dec
- 9 mm
- Rain / yr
- 643 mm
- 115 wet days
- Daylight
- 10.7–13.3 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 1,220 m
- 22.0°N
- Clearest
- Mar
- 45% cloud
Cárdenas is municipal seat of Cárdenas, State of San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Cárdenas 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 mid October to early April.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Cárdenas, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 5.0 months, from March 30 to August 29, with daily high temperatures above 28°C. The hottest month of the year in Cárdenas is May, with an average high of 31°C and low of 19°C.
The cool season lasts 2.5 months, from November 26 to February 9, with daily high temperatures below 23°C. The coldest month of the year in Cárdenas is January, with an average low of 10°C and high of 21°C.
Days typically run about 11°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 12°C) in April.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 21 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 22 |
| Avg low (°C) | 10 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 13 | 11 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | 10 |
| Feb | 24 | 12 |
| Mar | 27 | 15 |
| Apr | 29 | 17 |
| May | 31 | 19 |
| Jun | 30 | 20 |
| Jul | 29 | 19 |
| Aug | 29 | 19 |
| Sep | 27 | 19 |
| Oct | 26 | 16 |
| Nov | 24 | 13 |
| Dec | 22 | 11 |
Average hourly temperature in Cárdenas
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 31°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 10°C.
Cárdenas 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 | 21° / 10° | 13 | 3.4 | 10.8 | 7.7 |
| Feb | 24° / 12° | 14 | 3.4 | 11.2 | 8.0 |
| Mar | 27° / 15° | 19 | 4.6 | 11.8 | 7.5 |
| Apr | 29° / 17° | 25 | 6 | 12.5 | 5.9 |
| May | 31° / 19° | 42 | 10.9 | 13 | 4.8 |
| Jun | 30° / 20° | 91 | 16.5 | 13.3 | 4.4 |
| Jul | 29° / 19° | 103 | 16 | 13.2 | 4.8 |
| Aug | 29° / 19° | 92 | 16.7 | 12.8 | 4.8 |
| Sep | 27° / 19° | 141 | 19.1 | 12.1 | 5.0 |
| Oct | 26° / 16° | 71 | 10.8 | 11.5 | 6.7 |
| Nov | 24° / 13° | 23 | 5.2 | 10.9 | 7.9 |
| Dec | 22° / 11° | 9 | 2.3 | 10.7 | 7.9 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Cárdenas gets about 643 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is often wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 5.4 months, from around May 9 to Oct 19, peaking in September at about 68% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Dec 12.
September is the wettest month by volume, with 141 mm over about 19 wet days; December is the driest, with 9 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 11 | 12 | 15 | 20 | 36 | 54 | 52 | 55 | 62 | 35 | 17 | 8 |
| Rain days | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 11 | 5 | 2 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | 3 |
| Feb | 12 | 3 |
| Mar | 15 | 5 |
| Apr | 20 | 6 |
| May | 36 | 11 |
| Jun | 54 | 17 |
| Jul | 52 | 16 |
| Aug | 55 | 17 |
| Sep | 62 | 19 |
| Oct | 35 | 11 |
| Nov | 17 | 5 |
| Dec | 8 | 2 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Cárdenas collects about 643 mm of rain across 115 wet days — roughly 54 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. September is the wettest month with 141 mm, while December is the driest at just 9 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 52% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 13 | 14 | 19 | 25 | 42 | 91 | 103 | 92 | 141 | 71 | 23 | 9 |
| Rain days | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 11 | 5 | 2 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | 3 |
| Feb | 14 | 3 |
| Mar | 19 | 5 |
| Apr | 25 | 6 |
| May | 42 | 11 |
| Jun | 91 | 17 |
| Jul | 103 | 16 |
| Aug | 92 | 17 |
| Sep | 141 | 19 |
| Oct | 71 | 11 |
| Nov | 23 | 5 |
| Dec | 9 | 2 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Cárdenas, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around February 8 and lasts for 4.4 months, ending around June 20. The clearest month is May, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 67% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around August 16 and lasts for 2.4 months, ending around October 27. The cloudiest month is September, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 55% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 56 | 62 | 64 | 62 | 67 | 63 | 57 | 58 | 45 | 54 | 61 | 58 |
| Cloudier (%) | 44 | 38 | 36 | 38 | 33 | 37 | 43 | 42 | 55 | 46 | 39 | 42 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 44 |
| Feb | 62 | 38 |
| Mar | 64 | 36 |
| Apr | 62 | 38 |
| May | 67 | 33 |
| Jun | 63 | 37 |
| Jul | 57 | 43 |
| Aug | 58 | 42 |
| Sep | 45 | 55 |
| Oct | 54 | 46 |
| Nov | 61 | 39 |
| Dec | 58 | 42 |
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 2, brings about 13 h 18 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 10 h 42 min — a swing of roughly 2 h 36 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.8 | 11.2 | 11.8 | 12.5 | 13.0 | 13.3 | 13.2 | 12.8 | 12.1 | 11.5 | 10.9 | 10.7 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:24 | 7:16 | 6:53 | 6:24 | 6:03 | 5:59 | 6:07 | 6:20 | 6:29 | 6:39 | 6:56 | 7:15 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:12 | 6:31 | 6:44 | 6:54 | 7:06 | 7:19 | 7:21 | 7:06 | 6:37 | 6:08 | 5:52 | 5:55 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10.8 | 7:24 | 6:12 |
| Feb | 11.2 | 7:16 | 6:31 |
| Mar | 11.8 | 6:53 | 6:44 |
| Apr | 12.5 | 6:24 | 6:54 |
| May | 13.0 | 6:03 | 7:06 |
| Jun | 13.3 | 5:59 | 7:19 |
| Jul | 13.2 | 6:07 | 7:21 |
| Aug | 12.8 | 6:20 | 7:06 |
| Sep | 12.1 | 6:29 | 6:37 |
| Oct | 11.5 | 6:39 | 6:08 |
| Nov | 10.9 | 6:56 | 5:52 |
| Dec | 10.7 | 7:15 | 5:55 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Cárdenas averages about 12 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 7 and 16 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 7.6 months, from around Oct 25 to Jun 12. The sunniest month is February, with roughly 14 sunny days (mixed).
The greyest month is July, down near 9 sunny days — about 34% fewer than the February peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 13 |
| Sky | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Gloomy | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | Mixed |
| Feb | 13 | Mixed |
| Mar | 15 | Mixed |
| Apr | 13 | Mixed |
| May | 13 | Mixed |
| Jun | 10 | Mixed |
| Jul | 10 | Mixed |
| Aug | 10 | Mixed |
| Sep | 7 | Gloomy |
| Oct | 10 | Mixed |
| Nov | 13 | Mixed |
| Dec | 13 | Mixed |
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 Cárdenas, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 6.2 months, from around April 21 to October 26. The muggiest month is June, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 99% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around October 27 to April 20, and January is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 99% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 76 | 61 | 38 | 21 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 36 | 65 |
| Comfortable (%) | 23 | 33 | 38 | 27 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 20 | 36 | 30 |
| Humid (%) | 1 | 6 | 23 | 41 | 47 | 36 | 46 | 42 | 34 | 44 | 25 | 4 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 39 | 62 | 54 | 57 | 59 | 24 | 3 | 0 |
| Oppressive (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 61 | 33 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 38 | 38 | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr | 21 | 27 | 41 | 10 | 0 |
| May | 4 | 10 | 47 | 39 | 1 |
| Jun | 0 | 1 | 36 | 62 | 1 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 | 46 | 54 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 1 | 42 | 57 | 0 |
| Sep | 1 | 5 | 34 | 59 | 0 |
| Oct | 13 | 20 | 44 | 24 | 0 |
| Nov | 36 | 36 | 25 | 3 | 0 |
| Dec | 65 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 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.
Wind in Cárdenas is steady company: average speeds sit near 7 km/h — calm — in every month of the year, with no meaningful windy or calm season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | calm |
| Feb | 7 | calm |
| Mar | 8 | calm |
| Apr | 9 | calm |
| May | 8 | calm |
| Jun | 8 | calm |
| Jul | 8 | calm |
| Aug | 8 | calm |
| Sep | 7 | calm |
| Oct | 6 | calm |
| Nov | 6 | calm |
| Dec | 6 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Cárdenas
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Cárdenas's rainy season runs June–October, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Cárdenas
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Cárdenas throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late March, Cárdenas 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 Cárdenas for general outdoor tourist activities is from mid October to early April, with a peak score in the third 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) | 7.7 | 8.0 | 7.5 | 6.0 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 6.6 | 7.9 | 7.9 |
| Rating | ideal | ideal | ideal | good | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | good | ideal | ideal |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.7 | ideal |
| Feb | 8.0 | ideal |
| Mar | 7.5 | ideal |
| Apr | 6.0 | good |
| May | 4.8 | fair |
| Jun | 4.4 | fair |
| Jul | 4.8 | fair |
| Aug | 4.8 | fair |
| Sep | 5.1 | fair |
| Oct | 6.6 | good |
| Nov | 7.9 | ideal |
| Dec | 7.9 | ideal |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Cárdenas for hot-weather activities run from mid February to late May and again from mid October to mid November, 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 Cárdenas, 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.
For a warm-season trip around May (highs near 31°C), the essentials are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near 21°C), pack a light layer.
In May, Cárdenas sees daytime highs around 31°C and nights near 19°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 11 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in Cárdenas 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 Cárdenas peaks around June 18 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 6 (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) | 7 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Level | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | High |
| Feb | 9 | Very high |
| Mar | 11 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 13 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 10 | Very high |
| Nov | 7 | High |
| Dec | 6 | High |
Average hourly UV index in Cárdenas
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 June 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) | 6 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 7 | 6 | 5.5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 3 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 3 | 2 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | 3 |
| Feb | 6.5 | 4.5 |
| Mar | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Apr | 8 | 6 |
| May | 8 | 6 |
| Jun | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Jul | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Aug | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Oct | 7 | 4.5 |
| Nov | 6 | 3 |
| Dec | 5.5 | 2 |
Air quality in Cárdenas 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 Cárdenas is worst in May — around 26 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.9× the cleanest month (October, 14 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) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 20 | 26 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 17 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 16 | Moderate |
| Feb | 16 | Moderate |
| Mar | 16 | Moderate |
| Apr | 20 | Moderate |
| May | 26 | Moderate |
| Jun | 18 | Moderate |
| Jul | 18 | Moderate |
| Aug | 16 | Moderate |
| Sep | 15 | Moderate |
| Oct | 14 | Moderate |
| Nov | 14 | Moderate |
| Dec | 17 | Moderate |
Growing season
Cárdenas 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. Cárdenas banks about 4,102 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) | 184 | 224 | 327 | 396 | 461 | 444 | 438 | 436 | 391 | 346 | 255 | 201 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 184 |
| Feb | 224 |
| Mar | 327 |
| Apr | 396 |
| May | 461 |
| Jun | 444 |
| Jul | 438 |
| Aug | 436 |
| Sep | 391 |
| Oct | 346 |
| Nov | 255 |
| Dec | 201 |
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.
Cárdenas receives about 5.2 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.7 and 6.5 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.3 months, from around Mar 2 to Sep 10. The brightest month is May, averaging about 6.4 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 3.7 kWh/m² — roughly 42% less than the May peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 3.9 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 5.1 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 3.8 |
| Level | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.9 | Moderate |
| Feb | 4.7 | Bright |
| Mar | 5.5 | Bright |
| Apr | 6.3 | Intense |
| May | 6.4 | Intense |
| Jun | 6.3 | Intense |
| Jul | 6.2 | Intense |
| Aug | 6.2 | Intense |
| Sep | 5.1 | Bright |
| Oct | 4.6 | Bright |
| Nov | 3.9 | Moderate |
| Dec | 3.8 | Moderate |
Where is Cárdenas?
Cárdenas sits at 22.0°N, 99.6°W, 1,220 m above sea level, in Mexico. The nearest listed city is Rioverde, 37 km away.
Topography around Cárdenas
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Cárdenas.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Cárdenas has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 312 m around an average of 1,252 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 813 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,636 m.
The land around Cárdenas is covered by shrubs (44%) and cropland (26%) within 3 km, shrubs (60%) within 16 km, and trees (43%) and shrubs (42%) within 80 km.
Mexico travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 / 127 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 54% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $13,889
- 2025
- Happiness
- 7.0 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 43%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 24.9
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.8
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 440
- 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 Cárdenas (22.0014°, -99.6425°, elevation 1,220 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).