El Salvador
Weather locations in El Salvador
Choose a location in El Salvador to view its available forecast products.
El Salvador illustrated weather map
2 mapped locations
Only locations with a verified coordinate are marked. The complete location list is below.
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Climate of El Salvador
Country climate guideEl Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, a narrow isthmus reaching from the Gulf of Fonseca on the Caribbean to the Pacific, and it lies between about 13°N and 18°N. The land is volcanic, with a chain of peaks along the backbone of the country, including the Santa Ana volcano in the west and the Ilopango caldera near the capital. Low latitude, coast on two oceans and steep volcanic slopes combine to give a tropical climate of one long dry season and one heavy rainy one.
Main climate types
The lowlands and the central valleys are tropical savanna with a pronounced wet season; around Santa Ana and Ahuachapán in the west it is drier and semi-arid on the volcanoes' rain shadow; the Pacific slope is hot and dry; and the higher interior valleys of Santa Ana and San Vicente are cooler because of altitude. Humidity is highest on the Gulf of Fonseca coast, the wettest corner of the country.
Temperatures
Altitude is the dominant control. San Salvador, at about 1,000 metres, averages roughly 19 °C, with highs in the upper 20s °C and nights in the mid-teens all year. The Pacific plain below 300 metres is markedly hotter, averaging about 24 °C to 26 °C with highs regularly above 32 °C. In the western semi-arid belt, temperatures in the 30s °C are normal from April to June. Cold nights are rare in the lowlands.
Rainfall
Rain arrives almost entirely between May and October. San Salvador receives about 1,900 mm a year, and the Gulf of Fonseca coast around La Unión perhaps 2,000 mm to 2,500 mm. The western semi-arid zone is very different, taking only 500 mm to 900 mm. Because most of the rain falls within a few weeks, the country dries severely between November and April, and rivers that are perennial in the wet season shrink to pools. Tropical storms approach from June to November.
When to go
The dry season, from about December to April, is the best time to travel, especially for roads and the Pacific beaches. The rainy season brings afternoon storms and beautiful green landscapes but difficult roads. As the country sits in the hurricane belt, late autumn travel should be checked for storm warnings.