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[lehh]

What is the climate like where you are in Latin America?

What issues did you face in adjusting to the climate?

Which countries have preferable climates (not too hot, cold, rainy etc.)?

How common is heat/air conditioning there?

[Guy Courchesne]

Mexico has quite a varied climate. Mexico City, where I am, is pretty much springlike year round. For a few weeks during winter, it can get close to 0 C overnight, and the surrounding hills might get a dusting of snow once or twice a year. But, the days are still warm...in the 20's. Summer heat is kept at bay by both a high elevation and the rainy season, usually featuring an afternoon shower. Rarely gets above 30.

Not much need for air conditioning here, but many buildings have it on a low setting in the summer. No humidity ever. Most homes and buildings are not heated but with a lot of concrete, marble, and stonework, it can be chilly on winter nights.

Coming from a part of Canada tht shifts between -40 C and + 40 C, I had noooooo trouble at all adjusting to the climate here. It is a big factor in not going back to the old country.

[ls650]

I thought the original question was so wide open that it was impossible to provide a good answer. Latin America is so huge that you can find pretty much any climate you want - it's like asking "What's the climate like in Europe?"

[Guy Courchesne]

I think it's a good conversation starter. You know how we are in the Lat Am forums...I'm sure the topic will soon evolve into a discussion on ladies undergarments or on Paulie sightings.

[MELEE]

I'm at a slightly lower elevation in Mexico than Mexico City, so it gets a bit warmer than what Guy said in his post. We never have any snow anywhere near here, but the moutain tops get frost from time to time. Even on the very coldest nights it still gets rather warm by mid day. All our rain comes from Jun-Sept. And I do mean ALL. Rarely a drop doth fall from Oct. to May. I love the climate, I had no problem at all adjusting. I'm from the middle of the US land of extreme weather. I have noticed that those around me from the UK tend to think its boiling hot here in April, but it's bone dry and never more than like 90-92 mid day in the sun, and it always cools off as soon as the sun tucks behind the mountains.
I've also seen some suffer a bit from the altitude which is just high enough to start to notice, but nothing like Quito, Cusco or La Paz.

As for artificial heating and air conditioning? The bank has air conditioning inside the ATM chamber. But no place else does.

[lehh]

ls650-
I wasn't looking for a general answer.

The question is specifically "What is the climate like where you are in Latin America?"

The purpose of this question is to solicit individual opinions relating to the climates from people who experience them firsthand.

Although it's possible to read about the climate in a book or online, it's always useful to me to hear opinions from people who've actually experienced it.

Of course it's a large region, but the comparison factor is interesting.

[lozwich]

The climate in Bogota is boring! Its roughly the same temperature every day, and only varies by a few degrees at night. So if you like to live within the range of 15 to 20 degrees celsius, come on by!

There are seasons, after a fashion. We're just coming into rainy season, which means it will absolutely bucket down every day at about 2pm and cause flash flooding and make the traffic jams worse for a couple of months. We just finished very windy kite flying month, and before that it was lovely and sunny every day for about 4 months. All within the same temperature range.

The air up here (as they say, Bogota is the city 2600 metres closer to the stars) is a bit dry sometimes, so I get a bit of sinusitis and dry skin, but apart from that its fine.

I'd prefer 35 degrees every day and a high level of humidity myself, but this isn't bad once you get used to it, and its pretty easy to just go down the mountains if you want hot.

[denise]

In northern Peru (specifically, Piura), it ranges from tolerably to brutally hot. It�s tolerable now-ish--to me the winter here feels like a California summer, only a bit less comfortable. Blazing hot during the day and light sweather weather at night and in the mornings. In the summer, I just melted into a puddle as soon as I woke up every day.

d

[corporatehuman]

Climate in Chiapas, Mexico (specifically near Tuxtla) is hot everyday. During the peak around 25 to 30 celsius. If you like doing stuff during the day, it can be very difficult; doable, but exhausting. Generally most people are active outside during the nights and the early mornings.

The humidity here is daunting, some days reaching 100% (is it possible for higher?).

Apparently things cool off around november, december, january...but not by too much. No snow, no winter, nothing like that. Pretty much summer year around. The skys are always, for the most part, perfectly blue. Which was a big change for me, I was used to dreary and overcast in Pennsylvania.


- Chris

[danielita]

[lozwich]

[danielita]

in southern Mexico...there are lots of beaches nearby where we can do some research before we take up swimming

D

[tomteacher]

I noticed there was never too much wind when I was in Peru and Ecuador. Maybe Britain (where I'm from) is super windy in comparison to other places. Any thoughts?

[Luna Chica]

Or Paulie in ladies undergarments Guy. There's a mental image for you.

[Guy Courchesne]