Pack for altitude first and season second: Guatemala has cold highlands and hot lowlands within a few hours’ drive, a rainy season from May to October, and a cold-front season from November to February. This page turns the climate data of INSIVUMEH, Guatemala’s national weather and climate institute, into a packing list by region and month. The temperatures are INSIVUMEH station averages from its study Variabilidad y Cambio Climático en Guatemala (February 2018).
Quick summary: Highlands (Quetzaltenango, Huehuetenango): INSIVUMEH station averages of 15 °C and 18.7 °C a year (2001-2014); pack warm layers. Eastern valleys (Zacapa area): 28.1 °C at La Fragua, the driest region (700-1,300 mm of rain a year). Caribbean (Puerto Barrios): 25.8-26.6 °C a year, rain all year. Petén: averages between 20 and 30 °C, rain all year, heaviest June-October. Seasons: rainy May-October with a drier canícula in July and part of August; cold fronts November-February; heat waves March-April.
What the climate data says, region by region
| Region (INSIVUMEH) | Where you’d be | Station average temperature | Rain a year | What to pack |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occidente (western highlands) | Most of Huehuetenango, Quiché, San Marcos, Quetzaltenango (Xela), Totonicapán, Sololá and Chimaltenango, and Guatemala department, per INSIVUMEH’s study (which lists Guatemala under Occidente) | Labor Ovalle: 13.6 °C (1971-2000), 15 °C (2001-2014). Huehuetenango: 17.1 °C, then 18.7 °C | 800-1,200 mm | A warm jacket or fleece, long trousers, closed shoes, a layer for sleeping |
| Altiplano Central | The study’s region of the INSIVUMEH and Alameda ICTA stations; INSIVUMEH’s daily forecast lists Guatemala City under this region | Not given as text in the study | 900-1,200 mm | Layers: a light jacket over short sleeves |
| Valles de Oriente | Most of Zacapa, parts of Chiquimula, El Progreso and Jalapa | La Fragua: 27.4 °C, then 28.1 °C. Asunción Mita: 26.8 °C, then 27.4 °C | 700-1,300 mm (the lowest in the country) | Light, breathable clothes, sun hat, sunscreen |
| Caribe | Puerto Barrios, Izabal | 25.8-26.6 °C a year | 3,230-3,726 mm; rain all year, March the driest month | Quick-dry clothes, rain jacket all year |
| Norte | Petén (Flores, Tikal) | Between 20 and 30 °C; highest from April to September | 1,559.1-1,718.2 mm; rain all year, heaviest June-October | Light long sleeves and trousers, rain jacket |
| Pacífico | The Pacific coastal plain, 0-600 m | Not given as text in the study | 1,200-1,700 mm | Hot-weather clothes |
| Boca Costa | The slope between the highlands and the Pacific plain | Not given as text in the study | 3,100-4,000 mm; no well-defined dry season | Rain gear in any month |
Source: INSIVUMEH, Variabilidad y Cambio Climático en Guatemala, February 2018, chapter 5. For all eight regions and their rain, see our Spanish-language page on Guatemala’s climate zones.
Why the same trip needs two wardrobes: INSIVUMEH says the western region is the most mountainous, with mountains of 2,500 to 3,500 metres, and records the country’s lowest temperatures in its highest parts. The eastern valleys and the Caribbean coast are 10 °C or more warmer on average (15 °C at Labor Ovalle against 28.1 °C at La Fragua, 2001-2014, and 25.8-26.6 °C at Puerto Barrios).
What the season changes
| Months | What INSIVUMEH describes | Add to the bag |
|---|---|---|
| November-February | Cold season: cold fronts lower the temperature and raise the wind, mostly from the north. At Puerto Barrios, November to February are the coolest months | Extra warm layer for the highlands; check our frost alerts for highland lows |
| March-April | Heat waves; the eastern valleys peak in April and May | Sun protection, light clothes |
| May-June | INSIVUMEH says the rains usually start in May; June brings cloudy, rainy days | Rain jacket, shoes that can get wet |
| July-August | The canícula, a drier spell in the rainy season | Rain gear still: it is a pause, not the dry season |
| September-October | The intense rains that complete the season | Rain jacket, dry bag for electronics; follow weather alerts |
An example from the rainy season: INSIVUMEH’s forecast for 26 September 2026 expected scattered cloud in the morning, cloud building in the afternoon with rain, drizzle and lightning over much of the country, and rain that could last into the night. Its weekend note of 25 September gave maximums of 32 to 36 °C in the south and north and 22 to 26 °C in the western region: in the same weekend, one country, two very different bags.
The packing list
Clothes
- Warm layer (fleece or light down) if any stop is in the highlands, more so from November to February
- Rain jacket from May to October, and all year for the Caribbean and Petén
- Light, quick-dry clothes for the lowlands and coasts
- Long trousers and closed shoes for the highlands and for hikes
- Sun hat
Kit
- Plug adapter only if your devices need one: see power adapters and voltage in Guatemala
- Sunscreen and water for the hot valleys and coasts
- Dry bag or zip bags for electronics in the rainy season
If you are hiking a volcano, the gear list is its own subject: see the Acatenango overnight hike, hiking volcanoes in Guatemala and altitude and elevation in Guatemala.
Related guides
- Best time to visit Guatemala, month by month
- Rainy season 2026, with its own what-to-pack table
- Where to live in Guatemala by climate
- Frost alerts: tonight’s highland lows
- Rainfall data
- Weather alerts
Sources
- INSIVUMEH, Variabilidad y Cambio Climático en Guatemala, Departamento de Investigación y Servicios Climáticos, February 2018 (copy read 25 September 2026): station temperature averages, regional rainfall ranges and region descriptions.
- INSIVUMEH, historic Regiones climáticas page (web archive copy of 5 March 2021, read 25 September 2026): the two seasons, the cold season and the heat waves.
- INSIVUMEH, daily forecast for 26 September 2026 and weekend note of 25 September 2026 (read 26 September 2026).
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear in Guatemala?
It depends on where you go. INSIVUMEH, Guatemala’s weather service, describes a cold, mountainous west (its Labor Ovalle station near Quetzaltenango averaged 15 °C over 2001-2014), hot eastern valleys (La Fragua, 28.1 °C) and a Caribbean coast where the Puerto Barrios station averages between 25.8 and 26.6 °C a year. A trip that crosses the highlands and a coast needs warm layers and hot-weather clothes in the same bag.
Is it cold in Guatemala?
In the highlands, yes. INSIVUMEH says the western region is the most mountainous, with mountains of 2,500 to 3,500 metres, and records the country’s lowest temperatures in its highest parts. It describes November to February as the cold season, when cold fronts lower the temperature and raise the wind. For tonight’s lows in highland towns, see our frost alerts page.
When is the rainy season in Guatemala?
May to October, according to INSIVUMEH: the rains usually start in May, June brings cloudy and rainy days, July and part of August have a drier spell called the canícula, and September and October bring the intense rains that close the season. On the Caribbean side it rains all year, with March the driest month; in Petén it rains all year too, most heavily from June to October.
Do I need a rain jacket in Guatemala?
From May to October, yes, and all year on the Caribbean side and in Petén. INSIVUMEH’s daily forecast for 26 September 2026, for example, expected cloud to build in the afternoon with rain, drizzle and lightning over much of the country, lasting into the night and early morning.
What is the hottest time of year in Guatemala?
March to May. INSIVUMEH describes heat waves in March and April, and at its eastern-valley stations the months with the highest average temperature are April and May. At Puerto Barrios the monthly average is 27.7-28.5 °C in May and 27.6-28.5 °C in June, its warmest months.
