Puerto Cabezas in Winter
In winter (December, January and February), Puerto Cabezas sees average daytime highs around 27°C and overnight lows near 23°C, with 193 mm of rain over about 56 wet days across the season. It is the coldest season of the year and the driest season of the year.
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 27°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 43% of the time across winter, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Winter is Puerto Cabezas's best season of the year to visit on our travel score. Puerto Cabezas 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 Puerto Cabezas's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 27°C
- coldest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 23°C
- Rainfall
- 193 mm
- 56 wet days
- Avg wind
- 14 km/h
- Travel score
- 5.3
- best season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in Puerto Cabezas in Winter
Across winter, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 27°C.
A typical winter day in Puerto Cabezas reaches about 27°C and drops to 23°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is December, the coolest January.
How winter really feels in Puerto Cabezas
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.
Puerto Cabezas 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° / 23° | 62 | 19.7 | 11.3 | 5.3 |
| Feb | 28° / 23° | 39 | 14.5 | 11.5 | 5.9 |
| Mar | 28° / 24° | 34 | 12.4 | 11.9 | 6.0 |
| Apr | 29° / 25° | 40 | 12.3 | 12.3 | 5.3 |
| May | 30° / 25° | 185 | 21.9 | 12.6 | 3.8 |
| Jun | 29° / 25° | 261 | 27.2 | 12.8 | 3.1 |
| Jul | 29° / 25° | 233 | 27.9 | 12.7 | 3.2 |
| Aug | 29° / 25° | 229 | 28 | 12.5 | 3.1 |
| Sep | 29° / 25° | 226 | 27.2 | 12.1 | 3.1 |
| Oct | 29° / 24° | 268 | 27.3 | 11.7 | 3.2 |
| Nov | 28° / 24° | 209 | 23.5 | 11.3 | 4.1 |
| Dec | 28° / 23° | 92 | 21.9 | 11.2 | 4.8 |
Cloud cover in Winter
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 43% of the time across winter.
Chance of precipitation in Winter
Puerto Cabezas gets around 193 mm of rain over 56 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 14 km/h across winter.
Sunrise & sunset in Winter
Daylight runs from about 11 h 12 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 4.5 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Puerto Cabezas
None of Puerto Cabezas's seasonal hazards peak in winter. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do.
Puerto Cabezas sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
Puerto Cabezas's rainy season runs May–November, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is winter a good time to visit Puerto Cabezas?
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 Puerto Cabezas for sightseeing.
What to pack for Puerto Cabezas in Winter
From winter's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In winter, Puerto Cabezas sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 23°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 56 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Puerto Cabezas in Winter
The nearest coast averages about 27°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 18 km away) is warmest in September at about 29°C and coldest in January near 27°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 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 27 | Warm |
| Mar | 27 | Warm |
| Apr | 28 | Tropical |
| May | 29 | Tropical |
| Jun | 29 | Tropical |
| Jul | 29 | Tropical |
| Aug | 29 | Tropical |
| Sep | 29 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 28 | Tropical |
| Dec | 27 | Warm |
UV index in Puerto Cabezas 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 Puerto Cabezas peaks around April 15 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 14 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 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 8 |
| 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 | 12 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 14 | Extreme |
| May | 12 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 12 | Extreme |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 9 | Very high |
| Dec | 8 | Very high |
Air quality in Puerto Cabezas 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 Puerto Cabezas is worst in July — around 36 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 5.4× the cleanest month (November, 7 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) | 8 | 10 | 11 | 19 | 26 | 31 | 36 | 25 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 8 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Good |
| Feb | 10 | Good |
| Mar | 11 | Good |
| Apr | 19 | Moderate |
| May | 26 | Moderate |
| Jun | 31 | Moderate |
| Jul | 36 | Poor |
| Aug | 25 | Moderate |
| Sep | 16 | Moderate |
| Oct | 11 | Good |
| Nov | 7 | Good |
| Dec | 8 | Good |
Where is Puerto Cabezas?
Puerto Cabezas sits at 14.0°N, 83.4°W, 8 m above sea level, in Nicaragua. The nearest listed city is Siuna, 154 km away.
Topography around Puerto Cabezas
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Puerto Cabezas.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Puerto Cabezas has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 34 m around an average of 9 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 76 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 403 m.
The land around Puerto Cabezas is covered by grassland (29%), water (27%) and trees (21%) within 3 km, water (50%) within 16 km, and water (43%) and trees (22%) 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 Puerto Cabezas (14.0351°, -83.3888°, elevation 8 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.