Bolivia
Weather locations in Bolivia
Choose a location in Bolivia to view its available forecast products.
Bolivia illustrated weather map
20 mapped locations
Only locations with a verified coordinate are marked. The complete location list is below.
Map Disclaimer: Maps and geographic illustrations on this website are simplified, stylized representations for weather visualization only. They are not drawn to scale and should not be interpreted as authoritative representations of national boundaries, territorial status, or geographic relationships.
Climate of Bolivia
Country climate guideBolivia is landlocked and dominated by altitude. Two thirds of the country lies above 1,500 metres, and the Altiplano, a vast high basin between the Andes at roughly 3,600 to 4,000 metres, sets the rhythm of the climate almost everywhere. The eastern lowlands, which drain towards the Amazon, are hot and humid, while the south-east border with Paraguay is semi-arid. La Paz has a January mean of about 9 °C and a July mean near 6 °C, with sharp frosts on most clear nights.
Main climate types
Three broad types cover the country. A cool highland climate dominates the Altiplano and the western cordillera. A tropical humid climate covers the northern lowlands of Pando and Madre de Dios, and a warmer transitional climate covers the eastern foothills and the Chaco. Because elevation changes so abruptly over short distances, neighbouring towns can differ by 10 °C or more.
Temperatures
January is the warmest month almost everywhere below 3,000 metres, and the coldest is usually June or July. Cochabamba, at about 2,550 metres, averages around 19 °C in January, while Santa Cruz de la Sierra in the humid east averages about 25 °C. In La Paz the daily range averages well over 15 °C, and light snow or hail can fall at any time of year; sustained snowfall is limited to the highest peaks.
Rainfall
Most of the rain falls between November and March, when the South American monsoon carries humid air up from the Amazon basin, and the Altiplano can receive well over 500 millimetres in those months. June to August are usually almost rainless, and the level of Lake Titicaca falls accordingly. Annual amounts rise steeply in the north-east, where parts of the Amazonian lowland regularly exceed 2,000 millimetres.
When to go
The dry season from May to September is the best time to visit the Altiplano, when days are clear and roads passable, and it is also the usual season for trekking the Cordillera Real. The wet season, particularly January and February, brings afternoon downpours and occasional road closures in the lowlands.