November is the month Guatemala changes from rainy to dry season: INSIVUMEH forecast two cold fronts for November 2026, far less rain in the highlands than on the northern lowlands, and highland minimums of 6 to 14 °C. The fixed date is 1 November, a paid holiday that does not move; in 2027 it is a Monday, the day of the Sumpango kites and the Todos Santos Cuchumatán horse race.

In short: Highlands drying out (50 to 150 mm forecast for November 2026 in the west and Altiplano Central), the Franja Transversal del Norte still wet (400 to 550 mm). Two cold fronts forecast, bringing wind and patchy rain; the coldest hours are 00:00 to 03:00. Both hurricane seasons officially end on 30 November. Holiday: Monday 1 November 2027. Several 2026 festivals (Antigua flowers on 14-15 November, the níspero fair on 21-22 November) are still ahead as of 9 November 2026.

Staying only in Antigua? The town-level page is Antigua Guatemala in November. For the whole country across the year, see the best time to visit Guatemala by month; the neighbouring months are October and December.

INSIVUMEH’s November outlook, region by region

INSIVUMEH published the November 2026 outlook on 3 November 2026. It opens with this line: “Noviembre se caracteriza por ser un mes de transición de la época lluviosa a la época seca en Guatemala” (November is a month of transition from the rainy season to the dry season). The figures below are that year’s forecast, made during an El Niño that INSIVUMEH expected to peak between November 2026 and January 2027 at anomalies of up to 3.5 °C.

Region (INSIVUMEH’s names)Rain forecast, November 2026Mean temperatureMinimum temperature
North150 to 250 mm22 to 30 °C18 to 30 °C
Franja Transversal del Norte400 to 550 mm22 to 30 °C18 to 30 °C
West (Occidente)50 to 150 mm6 to 22 °C6 to 14 °C
Altiplano Central50 to 150 mm18 to 26 °C6 to 14 °C
Eastern valleys (Valles de Oriente)50 to 75 mm18 to 26 °C14 to 22 °C
Caribbean100 to 250 mm—18 to 30 °C
Bocacosta100 to 250 mm26 to 34 °C18 to 26 °C
Pacific—26 to 34 °C18 to 26 °C

A dash means the outlook gives no figure for that region in that column. INSIVUMEH expected the minimums mostly at dawn, between 00:00 and 03:00, and mean temperatures above normal overall.

Cold fronts: what they bring

INSIVUMEH forecast two cold fronts for November 2026 and said that number is within the climatological average for the month. It expected their effects as patchy rain in some sectors and stronger winds. On 27 October 2026 its director forecast about 16 cold fronts across the 2026-27 cold season, with minimums of 8 to 14 °C in different regions, and warned that on the volcano ascents temperatures could drop to between 5 °C and 0 °C. INSIVUMEH’s daily and special volcano bulletins mark the high-danger areas where it advises against staying or camping.

INSIVUMEH’s month-by-month count from its October 2026 outlook:

MonthCold fronts forecast
October 20260
November 20262
December 20264
January 20274
February 20273
March 20273

The season had already turned cold before the first front: INSIVUMEH recorded 5 °C at dawn on 22 and 23 October 2026 in Todos Santos Cuchumatán, Huehuetenango, and forecast that the first front of the season could approach in the first week of November.

November across 30 years

The table gives November’s average high/low (°C, °F in brackets) and its rounded share of each place’s annual rain, from the 1996-2025 Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis behind our parent guide. Reanalysis is a model grid rather than a weather station, so read these as the long-run shape of the month.

PlaceNovember high/lowShare of the year’s rain
Antigua (1,540 m)24/15 (74/58)3%
Guatemala City—5%
Lake Atitlán, Panajachel (1,580 m)22/16 (72/60)4%
Xela (2,360 m)18/12 (65/53)4%
Tikal (300 m)28/20 (82/68)9%
Flores—7%
Semuc Champey (Lanquín)—10%
Livingston (sea level)27/22 (80/72)11%
Monterrico (sea level)30/23 (86/73)5%

The split is clear: 3-5% of the year’s rain in Antigua, Lake Atitlán, Xela, Guatemala City and Monterrico, against 9-11% at Tikal, Semuc Champey and Livingston. Our series has no temperature row for Guatemala City, Flores or Semuc Champey.

Hurricane season closes. The US National Hurricane Center gives 30 November as the official end of both the Atlantic season (from 1 June) and the eastern Pacific season (from 15 May). Active storms are on the hurricane tracker.

November dates

DateWhatSource of the date
1 November (Monday in 2027)All Saints’ Day, paid holidayArticle 127; exempt from the Monday shift under Decreto 19-2018
1 NovemberSumpango giant kites; Todos Santos Cuchumatán horse raceFestival de Sumpango; Municipalidad de Todos Santos Cuchumatán
1-2 November 2026127th Santiago Sacatepéquez kite festival: exhibition on 1 November, kites flown on 2 NovemberDiario de Centro América, 22 October 2026; Prensa Libre (press), 30 October 2026
14-15 November 202610th Festival de las Flores, AntiguaEmisoras Unidas (press), 28 October 2026
20 November 2026Festival Navideño opens in the Plaza Central, Guatemala CityAGN, 4 November 2026
21-22 November 2026Festival del Níspero, San Juan del Obispo, 8:00-20:00La Hora (press), 15 October 2026

The details live on each event page: Día de los Santos for the holiday and the fiambre, the Sumpango kite festival for getting there from Antigua, the Todos Santos horse race, the Antigua flower festival, the níspero festival and the Christmas parades and Festival Navideño. Also in the month: Garífuna Day in Livingston, Thanksgiving in Guatemala and the department-by-department November ferias. The rows marked 2026 are that year’s editions; each event page tracks the next one.

Planning a November trip

  • Highland nights. With minimums of 6 to 14 °C forecast for the west and Altiplano Central, pack a warm layer for Xela, Todos Santos or an overnight volcano hike, where INSIVUMEH’s range drops to 0 °C.
  • The north stays wet. The Franja Transversal del Norte and the north had the largest November 2026 rain forecasts; build slack into road legs across the north.
  • 1 November crowds. The Sumpango kites, the Santiago Sacatepéquez kite exhibition and the horse race all fall on the holiday. Book transport early and read the event pages for exits and timings.

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

Is November a good month to visit Guatemala?

For most of the country it is the start of the dry season. INSIVUMEH describes November as a month of transition from the rainy to the dry season, and its November 2026 outlook forecast 50 to 150 mm in the west and Altiplano Central against 400 to 550 mm in the Franja Transversal del Norte. Highland nights get cold when fronts arrive, and 1 November brings the kite festivals and the Todos Santos horse race.

How many cold fronts reach Guatemala in November?

INSIVUMEH forecast two cold fronts for November 2026, which it said is within the climatological average for the month, and about 16 over the whole 2026-27 cold season. Its October outlook put four in December and four in January.

How cold does it get in the highlands in November?

INSIVUMEH’s November 2026 outlook forecast minimums of 6 to 14 °C in the west and Altiplano Central, mostly between 00:00 and 03:00. On volcano ascents it warned that temperatures could fall to between 5 °C and 0 °C during the cold season.

Is 1 November a holiday in Guatemala?

Yes. Article 127 of the Labour Code lists 1 November as a paid holiday, and Decreto 19-2018 names it among the dates that are not moved to a Monday. In 2027 it falls on a Monday anyway.

Does hurricane season end in November?

Yes. The US National Hurricane Center gives 30 November as the official end of both the Atlantic and the eastern Pacific hurricane seasons.

Is November warm in Guatemala?

INSIVUMEH forecast warmer-than-normal mean temperatures for November 2026: 26 to 34 °C on the Pacific and Bocacosta, 22 to 30 °C in the north and Franja Transversal del Norte, and 18 to 26 °C in the Altiplano Central and eastern valleys. 2026 was an El Niño year, so treat that as one year’s forecast.