Playa del Carmen weather in January

In January, Playa del Carmen sees average daytime highs of 26°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 55 mm of rain across 10.5 wet days and about 10.9 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in January, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 48 min at the start of January to 11 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Playa del Carmen's 6th-clearest and 3rd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Playa del Carmen's year-round climate.

Daytime high
26°
12th warmest
Overnight low
22°
1st coldest
Rainfall
55 mm
10.5 wet days
Daylight
10 h 54 min
6:31 AM – 5:24 PM
Cloud cover
49%
6th clearest
Wind
18 km/h
3rd windiest
Solar energy
3.82 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.9
out of 10

Playa del Carmen is municipal seat of Playa del Carmen, State of Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Founded
1937

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 26°C through the month.

A typical January day in Playa del Carmen reaches about 26°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 4°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12622
22622
32622
42622
52622
62622
72622
82622
92622
102622
112622
122622
132622
142622
152622
162622
172622
182622
192622
202622
212622
222622
232622
242622
252622
262622
272622
282622
292622
302622
312622

How January really feels in Playa del Carmen

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

January sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Playa del Carmen weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan26° / 22°5510.510.96.9
Feb26° / 23°276.511.37.4
Mar27° / 23°275.811.97.5
Apr28° / 24°325.912.57.0
May29° / 25°8311.7135.6
Jun29° / 26°15417.313.24.5
Jul30° / 26°8014.113.14.8
Aug30° / 26°10016.812.74.4
Sep29° / 26°1662212.13.8
Oct28° / 25°18819.511.54.6
Nov27° / 24°8411.9116.3
Dec26° / 23°5410.710.86.7

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 45% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 23% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 32%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16931
26931
36931
46931
56931
66832
76832
86733
96733
106733
116634
126733
136733
146733
156733
166733
176733
186733
196733
206733
216733
226733
236733
246832
256832
266931
276931
286931
297129
307228
317228

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Playa del Carmen gets around 55 mm of rain over 10.5 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 34% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
133
233
334
434
535
636
736
837
937
1037
1137
1237
1337
1437
1536
1636
1735
1835
1934
2033
2132
2232
2331
2431
2530
2630
2730
2829
2929
3029
3128

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the oppressive band about 36% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 67% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
12121431411
22121431411
32121430411
43121430411
53121529401
63121529410
73121629400
83121629400
93121729390
103121829380
113131829370
123131929360
133131929360
143131930350
153131930350
162141930340
172141931340
182141931330
192151931330
202151932330
212151932320
221151932320
231151932330
241151932330
251141932340
261141833340
271131833350
281131833350
291121833360
302121732360
312121732370

Wind in January

Winds average 18 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 17 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
117light breeze
217light breeze
317light breeze
417light breeze
517light breeze
617light breeze
717light breeze
817light breeze
917light breeze
1017light breeze
1118light breeze
1218light breeze
1318light breeze
1418light breeze
1518light breeze
1618light breeze
1718light breeze
1818light breeze
1918light breeze
2018light breeze
2118light breeze
2218light breeze
2318light breeze
2417light breeze
2517light breeze
2617light breeze
2717light breeze
2817light breeze
2917light breeze
3017light breeze
3117light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 48 min at the start of January to 11 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 18 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:28 AM to 6:30 AM, and sunset from 5:15 PM to 5:33 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.86:285:15
210.86:295:15
310.86:295:16
410.86:295:16
510.86:305:17
610.86:305:18
710.86:305:18
810.86:305:19
910.86:315:19
1010.86:315:20
1110.86:315:21
1210.86:315:21
1310.86:315:22
1410.96:315:23
1510.96:315:23
1610.96:315:24
1710.96:315:24
1810.96:315:25
1910.96:315:26
2010.96:315:26
2110.96:315:27
2210.96:315:28
2311.06:315:28
2411.06:315:29
2511.06:315:30
2611.06:315:30
2711.06:315:31
2811.06:315:32
2911.06:305:32
3011.06:305:33
3111.16:305:33

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 3.82 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.71 kWh/m² to a high of 6.41 kWh/m² in July across the year — January's 3.82 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.7Moderate
23.7Moderate
33.7Moderate
43.7Moderate
53.7Moderate
63.7Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.7Moderate
103.7Moderate
113.7Moderate
123.7Moderate
133.8Moderate
143.8Moderate
153.8Moderate
163.8Moderate
173.8Moderate
183.8Moderate
193.9Moderate
203.9Moderate
213.9Moderate
223.9Moderate
234.0Moderate
244.0Moderate
254.0Bright
264.0Bright
274.1Bright
284.1Bright
294.1Bright
304.2Bright
314.2Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Playa del Carmen

In seasonPeak

None of Playa del Carmen's seasonal hazards are active in January. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Playa del Carmen sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.

Playa del Carmen's rainy season runs August–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Atlantic hurricane
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Playa del Carmen?

Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.9
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
6.5
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Playa del Carmen for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Playa del Carmen in January

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

In January, Playa del Carmen sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 22°C. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

light clothesrain gear

Sea temperature near Playa del Carmen in January

The nearest coast averages about 27°C in January — 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 27°C.

The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.

26°28°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan27Warm
Feb27Warm
Mar27Warm
Apr27Warm
May28Tropical
Jun29Tropical
Jul29Tropical
Aug29Tropical
Sep29Tropical
Oct29Tropical
Nov28Tropical
Dec27Warm

UV index in Playa del Carmen in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Playa del Carmen peaks around April 18 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 6 (high).

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

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highHighApr 18UV 12Dec 15UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan7Very high
Feb10Very high
Mar11Extreme
Apr12Extreme
May11Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep11Extreme
Oct10Very high
Nov7High
Dec6High

Air quality in Playa del Carmen in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Playa del Carmen is worst in June — around 25 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.1× the cleanest month (November, 6 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJun 2024 µg/m³Nov 226 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan7Good
Feb7Good
Mar8Good
Apr12Good
May15Moderate
Jun25Moderate
Jul22Moderate
Aug18Moderate
Sep12Moderate
Oct9Good
Nov6Good
Dec6Good
Location & terrain

Where is Playa del Carmen?

Playa del Carmen sits at 20.6°N, 87.1°W, 9 m above sea level, in Mexico. The nearest listed city is Cozumel, 20 km away.

Topography around Playa del Carmen

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Playa del Carmen has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 16 m around an average of 6 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 26 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 36 m.

The land around Playa del Carmen is covered by artificial surfaces (43%) and water (32%) within 3 km, water (49%) and trees (42%) within 16 km, and trees (51%) and water (45%) within 80 km.

3 km
16 m
16 km
26 m
80 km
36 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmangroves
January weather nearby: Cozumel 20 km · Tulum 61 km · Cancun 65 km · Isla Mujeres 76 km · Valladolid 117 km · Tizimín 125 km · Felipe Carrillo Puerto 154 km · Chichen Itza 155 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
Catholic 78%no religion 11%other Evangelical Churches 8%Jehovah Witness 1%

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 Playa del Carmen (20.6274°, -87.0799°, elevation 9 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).