Weather & Climate in San José, Panama

Temperature, precipitation, air quality, natural hazards, and monthly weather data.

San José has a warm climate with an average annual temperature of 80°F (27°C). Winters average 78°F in January while summers reach 80°F in July / relatively mild seasonal variation. The area gets 319 sunny days per year, well above the U.S. average of 205 / making it one of the sunnier locations in the country. Annual precipitation totals 84.2 inches (wetter than the 38-inch national average). The city sits at an elevation of 69 feet.

Temperature

78°F Jan (26°C) 80°F Jul (27°C)

Annual Average	79.9°F
	48% above US avg
January Average	78°F (26°C)
July Average	80°F (27°C)
Sunny Days	319 days/yr

Geography

Elevation	69 ft (21 m)
Area	215.6 sq mi (558.4 km²)
Population Density	19/sq mi
Coordinates	8.9270°N, 79.7336°W
Timezone	America/Panama

Precipitation & Snow

Annual Rainfall 84.2"

121% above US avg

Snowfall 0.0"

Wettest Month (Oct) 14.92"

Driest Month (Feb) 0.75"

Air Quality

Earthquake History

119 earthquakes (M2.5+) recorded within 150 km since 1990. Strongest on record: M6.1.

Feb 26, 2000	7 km SE of Narganá, Panama	M6.1	142 km	65 km
Jul 4, 2009	4 km NNW of El Porvenir, Panama	M6.1	112 km	38 km
Aug 13, 2003	4 km W of Cristóbal, Panama	M5.4	53 km	54 km
Mar 16, 2002	11 km NNW of Pásiga, Panama	M5.3	86 km	33 km
Jul 6, 2009	4 km NW of El Porvenir, Panama	M5.3	110 km	61 km
May 1, 2021	17 km NNE of Santa Isabel, Panama	M5.1	106 km	44 km
May 3, 2023	9 km SSE of Narganá, Panama	M5.0	140 km	79 km
Oct 28, 2003	37 km NW of Nuevo Chagres, Panama	M4.8	89 km	48 km
Sep 24, 1991	12 km E of Narganá, Panama	M4.7	150 km	79 km
Feb 20, 2017	35 km W of La Guinea, Panama	M4.7	88 km	16 km
Apr 9, 1994	15 km SE of Narganá, Panama	M4.7	143 km	66 km
Aug 22, 2004	10 km SSE of Narganá, Panama	M4.7	136 km	74 km
Nov 6, 1999	27 km N of Narganá, Panama	M4.7	148 km	48 km
Mar 7, 2012	9 km N of Tubualá, Panama	M4.6	107 km	54 km
Feb 9, 2011	9 km NNW of Nombre de Dios, Panama	M4.6	86 km	35 km
Sep 26, 1997	18 km SSW of Palmira, Panama	M4.5	72 km	73 km
Sep 22, 2013	33 km NW of Portobelo, Panama	M4.5	96 km	27 km
Dec 3, 1999	41 km NNW of Nombre de Dios, Panama	M4.4	114 km	51 km
Apr 17, 2016	18 km NNW of Coclé del Norte, Panama	M4.4	105 km	10 km
Mar 14, 2019	10 km NNW of Contadora, Panama	M4.4	76 km	27 km

Source: USGS Earthquake Catalog (M2.5+, 1990–2025). Sorted by magnitude.

Hurricane History

3 hurricanes (Category 1+) recorded within 500 km since 1980. Strongest on record: Category 3.

Year	Name	Category	Max Wind	Closest
2016	Otto	Category 2	104 mph	294 km
1996	Cesar	Category 1	81 mph	298 km
1988	Joan:miriam	Category 3	127 mph	242 km

Source: NOAA IBTrACS (Category 1+, 1980–2026).

Tsunami History

1 tsunami recorded within 500 km. Highest wave on record: 3.0 m (10 ft).

Year	Location	Cause	Max Wave	Deaths	Distance
1882	SAN BLAS ARCHIPELAGO	Eruption + Earthquake	3.0 m	100	144 km

Source: NOAA/NCEI Historical Tsunami Database.

Nearby Volcanoes

1 volcano within 200 km. Closest: Valle, El (62 km).

Name	Type	Elevation	Last Eruption	Distance
Valle, El	Stratovolcano	1,185 m (3,888 ft)	Unknown	62 km

Source: Smithsonian Institution Global Volcanism Program (GVP).

Monthly Weather

Month	Avg Temperature	Precipitation	Summary
January	78°F (26°C)	1.8 in	Coldest
February	80°F (27°C)	0.8 in	Driest
March	82°F (28°C)	0.8 in
April	82°F (28°C)	2.8 in	Warmest
May	81°F (27°C)	9.0 in
June	80°F (27°C)	10.2 in
July	80°F (27°C)	9.5 in
August	80°F (26°C)	9.7 in
September	79°F (26°C)	10.7 in
October	79°F (26°C)	14.9 in	Wettest
November	79°F (26°C)	14.3 in
December	79°F (26°C)	5.6 in

San José has a seasonal temperature swing of 4°F / from 78°F in January to 82°F in April. Total annual precipitation is 90.0 inches, with October being the wettest month (14.9") and February the driest (0.8").

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