Best time to visit Cancun

The best time to visit Cancun for a beach holiday is during the warm, dry season from December through April, with March the ideal time as it's the driest month and humidity is low.

You can expect sunny, dry days with an average high temperature of 29°C (84°F).

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Cancun weather

Cancun has a tropical climate with two distinct seasons: a warm, relatively dry season from November through April, and a hot and humid, wet season from May though October.

From late-November to early-March, a wind from the north, called el Norte, can blow, bringing cool, cloudy and windy days, with some rain.

What is the best month to visit Cancun?
March is the best month to visit Cancun – you can expect warm, sunny weather, with clear blue skies and little or no rainfall.

However, anytime during the dry season from November to April is good.

Which is the hottest month in Cancun?
July is usually the hottest month in Cancun, with an average daytime high temperature around 32°C (89°F), with high heat and humidity and a low of 24°C (75°F).

The hot season lasts from mid-June to late-September, with an average daily high temperature above 31°C (87°F).

However, on the warmest days of the year, the temperature usually reaches around 34°C (93°F).

Which is the coldest month in Cancun?
The coldest month of the year at Cancun is January, with an average high of 27°C (80°F) and a low of 19°C (66°F).

The cooler winter season lasts from early-December to early-March, with an average daily high temperature below 28°C (82°F).

Which is the sunniest month in Cancun?
The sunniest month in Cancun is usually April with an average of 8.5 hours of sunshine per day; that's on average 67% of daylight hours.

What is the humidity in Cancun?
Cancun experiences notable seasonal variation in perceived humidity, with approximate average relative humidity calculated at between 75% – 83% over the course of the year.

What do the humidity conditions feel like in Cancun?
We derive the humidity comfort level – what conditions feel like – from the dew point temperature, which measures moisture content in the atmosphere: a higher dew point feels more humid, while a lower dew point feels drier.

Meteorologists agree that dew point temperature is a more consistant indication of 'absolute humidity' than relative humidity, which fluctuates with temperature. 

The average annual dew point in Cancun is 22°C (71°F), and varies over the course of the year from starting to feel humid at 19°C (66°F) to muggy and uncomfortable at 24°C (75°F).

The more humid time of year in Cancun is from mid-March to mid-December, when you can expect the comfort level to be muggy at least 75% of the time.

The month with the most muggy days in Cancun is August, with 31 days on average that are muggy or worse.

January through March is generally more comfortable. The month with the least number of muggy days is February, with 20 days on average that are muggy.

When is the sea warmest in Cancun?
The sea is usually at its warmest in Cancun in August when the water temperature reaches 29°C (84°F), which is very pleasant for swimming.

The sea in Cancun is warm enough to swim year-round.

Which month has the most rain in Cancun?
October is usually the wettest month in Cancun with 190mm (7.5in) of rainfall on average, distributed across 13 days.

The wet season lasts from late-May through to early-November, with a greater than 32% chance of rainfall on any given day. The rains typically fall as short but intense tropical downpours.

Rain falls throughout the year in Cancun.

The drier season lasts from early-November to late-May: February through April has the least rainfall.

Which is the windiest month in Cancun?
The windiest month of the year in Cancun is March, with an average hourly wind speed of 15 kilometres per hour (9 mph; 8 knots).

The windy part of the year lasts from mid-October through to early-June, with average wind speeds of more than 13 kilometres per hour (8 mph; 7 knots).

The less-windy time of year lasts from early-June through to mid-October. The calmest month of the year in Cancun is August, with an average hourly wind speed of 11 kilometres per hour (7 mph; 6 knots).

The predominant average hourly wind direction varies throughout the year in Cancun.

What's the likelihood of a storm in Cancun?
The months of June through October all carry a slight risk of a tropical storm, with the likelihood greatest in September at 3.9%.

Holiday seasons

High season: Mid-December to April.

Low season: From May to mid-December, when prices at many hotels drop by 10 to 30 per cent.

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Cancun weather by month

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Source: Meteorological data for Cancun is based on weather statistics gathered for the period 1992 to 2021 by the Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN) – Mexico's national weather organisation – at the closest weather station: Cancun International Airport (CUN), which is located 20km (12mi) south of central Cancun.

Advice on the best time to visit a particular destination is based on average local weather statistics, when the weather conditions are generally better than at other times of the year. We consider high and low temperatures, risk of rain (and thunderstorms, etc.), amount of sunshine and sea temperature. For general outdoor activities we favour clear, rainless days with a temperature range between 18°C (64°F) and 27°C (80°F); and for hot-weather activities we favour clear, rainless days with a temperature range between 24°C (75°F) and 32°C (89°F). Often, the best times to visit correspond to high season and therefore involve higher prices.

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Latest update: Best time to visit Cancun: 8 May, 2024

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Disclaimer: The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data and conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable. We assume no responsibility and can not be held legally responsible for any decisions made on the basis of the information presented on this site.

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