Monte Alban Weather Month by Month
The plaza is a levelled ridge with no shade anywhere on it, so the weather here is not about comfort but about what hour you can actually be out there. The short version: go in the morning, in any month. A best Monte Alban tour for the season is usually just the earliest one.
What the weather does to a visit here
Two things change your day. The first is the sun. There is no shelter on the plaza, the site sits 400 metres above the valley floor, and the city below averages a daily high above 33 °C through March, April and May. On an exposed ridge that makes the middle of the day genuinely hard work.
The second is the rain, and it matters less than people expect. Oaxaca has a sharply seasonal climate. Essentially nothing falls between November and February, and what falls between May and October arrives in the late afternoon, so a morning visit sidesteps almost all of it. Several operators here can cancel from their side for bad weather and refund in full, and every tour listed refunds at 24 hours in any case.
Monte Alban month by month
Figures are the national meteorological service's 1991–2020 normals for Oaxaca de Juarez, measured 385 metres below the ridge.
January
28.9°C by day, 10.3°C at night, and 2.4mm of rain across the whole month. This is the driest, clearest stretch of the year. Mornings on the ridge are genuinely cold before the sun gets up, so take a layer you can shed by ten.
February
31.1°C by day, 11.6°C overnight, 4.6mm of rain. Still effectively dry, and the daytime figure has climbed two degrees on January. The plaza is at its most comfortable in the first two hours after opening.
March
33.3°C by day and 17.6mm of rain, spread thinly. The heat becomes the planning constraint rather than the rain from this month on. An eight o'clock start is worth an hour of anything else you might do with the morning.
April
The hottest month: 34.9°C by day, 15.8°C at night, and 47.3mm of rain as the first storms arrive. On an unshaded ridge that daytime figure is punishing by noon. Go early, carry water, and treat the afternoon as lost.
May
33.8°C and 97.9mm, with the rain arriving in heavy late-afternoon bursts rather than all day. Mornings are still reliably dry. The valley is green again by the end of the month, which changes what the site looks like from the platforms.
June
The wettest month of the year: 188.3mm, with daytime temperatures easing to 30.9°C. Rain almost always comes in the afternoon, so a morning tour is barely affected. Operators can cancel for weather from their side and refund in full.
July
30.1°C and 118.6mm, a slight lull inside the wet season. The Guelaguetza fills Oaxaca in the second half of the month and the site fills with it. Book early departures and expect the plaza busy from mid-morning.
August
30.0°C and 131.8mm. The pattern is unchanged: dry mornings, wet late afternoons, green ground. Visibility down the valley is at its best of the year between showers, which is worth knowing if you came to photograph the ridge.
September
The second wettest month, 163.6mm, at 29.1°C. Storms are heavier and arrive earlier in the day than in June. Keep the visit to the first half of the morning and hold a booking that refunds at 24 hours.
October
63.1mm and 29.3°C, the turn back towards the dry season. The valley is still green and the rain is largely gone by the end of the month. This is the best single trade the calendar offers between comfort, colour and crowds.
November
9.1mm of rain and 29.0°C by day, 12.3°C at night. Dry, clear and cool at dawn. The Day of the Dead at the start of the month is the busiest week in Oaxaca after the Guelaguetza, so start earlier than you would otherwise.
December
9.0mm and 28.9°C, with overnight lows of 11.0°C. Clear skies and the coldest mornings of the year on the ridge. The plaza is busy over the holidays but the light is the best it gets.
| Month | Mean high °C | Mean low °C | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28.9 | 10.3 | 2.4 |
| February | 31.1 | 11.6 | 4.6 |
| March | 33.3 | 13.6 | 17.6 |
| April | 34.9 | 15.8 | 47.3 |
| May | 33.8 | 16.7 | 97.9 |
| June | 30.9 | 16.7 | 188.3 |
| July | 30.1 | 15.9 | 118.6 |
| August | 30.0 | 15.9 | 131.8 |
| September | 29.1 | 16.1 | 163.6 |
| October | 29.3 | 14.5 | 63.1 |
| November | 29.0 | 12.3 | 9.1 |
| December | 28.9 | 11.0 | 9.0 |
The seasons, and which one you want
November to February is the dry season and the easiest weather to walk in: clear skies, cold dawns and almost no rain. The valley is brown by January, which some people mind and most do not.
March to May is dry and hot, and April is the hottest month of the year. Everything said above about starting early applies double.
June to October is the wet season, and it is better than it sounds. Mornings are usually clear, the valley is green, and the crowds are thinner outside the July festival week. The cost is an afternoon you cannot rely on.
Best time of day
Eight o'clock, when the gate opens. You get the coolest air of the day, the plaza before the coaches, low light on the carvings and the long views down the valley without haze. Every guided half day listed here is built around exactly that, and the cheapest full day collects you between 7:30 and 7:50 for the same reason.
The worst time is between noon and three. If that is the only slot you have, take a hat, take twice the water, and accept that you will walk the plaza once rather than twice. Last admission is 16:00, so keep a late afternoon for the city instead.
Frequently asked questions
Does rain close Monte Alban?
Which month is best for a visit?
Is the wet season a reason not to come?
How much colder is the site than the city?
Next: hours, tickets and what to bring on visitor information, the walking order on the site map, or the fares on Monte Alban Tours.