Oaxaca Weather

Oaxaca climate

Oaxaca is one of Mexico's most topographically complex states, with climate zones ranging from hot Pacific beaches to cool mountain valleys above 2,500 meters. The capital Oaxaca de Juarez at 1,550 meters enjoys a mild semi-arid climate with average temperatures around 21°C and over 250 sunny days per year.

The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is famous for its extreme winds, where cold-season pressure differences between the Gulf and Pacific can generate sustained winds exceeding 100 km/h for days at a time. The Pacific coast receives heavy monsoon rainfall while the central valleys remain relatively dry with 600-700mm annually.

The Sierra Madre del Sur and Sierra Norte create rain shadow effects that produce dramatically different rainfall patterns over short distances. The northern cloud forests receive over 3,000mm of rain annually, while the Mixteca region in the northwest is one of the most eroded and drought-prone areas in southern Mexico.