Ocotal in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Ocotal sees average daytime highs around 27°C and overnight lows near 17°C, with 26 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 27°C in early December to 29°C by late February. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels humid.
Winter is Ocotal's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Ocotal's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 27°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 17°C
- Rainfall
- 26 mm
- 9 wet days
- Avg wind
- 11 km/h
- Travel score
- 7.5
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Ocotal in Winter
Over the season highs climb from about 27°C in early December to 29°C by late February.
A typical winter day in Ocotal reaches about 27°C and drops to 17°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is February, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Ocotal
Once humidity and wind are folded in, winter brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
winter sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Ocotal 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 | 27° / 17° | 9 | 3.2 | 11.3 | 7.7 |
| Feb | 28° / 17° | 5 | 1.3 | 11.5 | 7.3 |
| Mar | 30° / 18° | 8 | 2.1 | 11.9 | 6.0 |
| Apr | 32° / 20° | 27 | 4.7 | 12.3 | 4.6 |
| May | 31° / 21° | 169 | 16.8 | 12.6 | 3.7 |
| Jun | 29° / 20° | 171 | 21.6 | 12.8 | 3.9 |
| Jul | 28° / 20° | 89 | 17.7 | 12.7 | 4.8 |
| Aug | 29° / 20° | 116 | 19 | 12.5 | 4.3 |
| Sep | 29° / 20° | 170 | 21.9 | 12.1 | 3.7 |
| Oct | 28° / 19° | 193 | 20.9 | 11.7 | 4.5 |
| Nov | 27° / 18° | 47 | 9 | 11.4 | 6.5 |
| Dec | 27° / 17° | 13 | 4 | 11.2 | 7.5 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 36% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Ocotal gets around 26 mm of rain over 9 wet days across winter. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Winter
Most of winter feels humid — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Winter
Winds average 11 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 11 h 18 min in early December to 11 h 42 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 4.7 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Ocotal
None of Ocotal's seasonal hazards peak in winter. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do.
Ocotal's rainy season runs May–October, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is winter a good time to visit Ocotal?
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 one of the better times to visit Ocotal for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Ocotal in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Ocotal sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 17°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection. About 9 days see rain.
UV index in Ocotal in Winter
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 Ocotal peaks around March 24 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 14 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) | 11 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Extreme |
| Feb | 13 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 13 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 10 | Very high |
| Dec | 9 | Very high |
Air quality in Ocotal 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 Ocotal is worst in April — around 24 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 4.9× the cleanest month (December, 5 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) | 5 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 24 | 18 | 23 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | Good |
| Feb | 6 | Good |
| Mar | 8 | Good |
| Apr | 24 | Moderate |
| May | 24 | Moderate |
| Jun | 18 | Moderate |
| Jul | 23 | Moderate |
| Aug | 17 | Moderate |
| Sep | 12 | Moderate |
| Oct | 10 | Good |
| Nov | 7 | Good |
| Dec | 5 | Good |
Where is Ocotal?
Ocotal sits at 13.6°N, 86.5°W, 600 m above sea level, in Nicaragua. The nearest listed city is Somoto, 20 km away.
Topography around Ocotal
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Ocotal.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Ocotal has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 500 m around an average of 627 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,571 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,039 m.
The land around Ocotal is covered by grassland (38%) and trees (34%) within 3 km, trees (57%) and grassland (32%) within 16 km, and trees (61%) and grassland (34%) within 80 km.
Nicaragua travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 3
- Reconsider Travel
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 34% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $3,173
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.3 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 11.3
- per 100k, 2021
- Road deaths
- 16.9
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- English
- Moderate
- EF EPI 512
- 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 Ocotal (13.6322°, -86.474°, elevation 600 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.