What’s the Panama weather like? Everyone wants to knowWhat’s the Panama weather like? Ex-pats expect that as one of the first questions from relatives and friends living elsewhere. Sunny, raining, cool, sticky: all descriptions apply. Like most places in the tropics that have a range of elevations, you can choose your own climate, from hot and humid to dry and downright frigid. I lived for more than a year in Panama City, close to sea level. After about 10 or 11 a.m., the weather in Panama City is warm and humid. Most ex-pats are uncomfortable without air conditioning – and electricity is expensive. With air conditioning running most of the time in a three-bedroom apartment in Clayton, just outside the city, power cost about $140 a month. Cooking was done by natural gas. Sweater at 5,000 feet Now I live at an elevation of a bit less than 5,000 feet, just outside the tiny community of Volcán (pronounced Boll-cahn) in the state of Chiriqui, about 20 miles from the Costa Rican border. It is named after the country’s highest peak (11,000 feet), a volcano dormant for many thousands of years before Christ lived. But when it blew, it hurled room-sized boulders over several hundred square kilometers and must have killed every living thing for miles around.
Panama weather is predictable The Panama weather, at whatever elevation you choose to live, is reasonably predictable. From about May through to December, expect rain most days. But only on about two of those days each month will rain settle in for a good daylong soaking on the Pacific side of the mountainous spine that runs the length of the country. (When choosing a place to live in a valley or near a river, make sure you investigate the flooding history. People are occasionally drowned here because of flash flooding, although this is not usually in areas popular with ex-pats.) Most days in this period, called winter or the green season, expect a short, heavy downfall once or twice a day. The typical ‘winter’ weather in Panama City (simply called Panama here, just to confuse outsiders) starts sunny in the morning. There are usually a few fluffy cumulous clouds on the horizon, perhaps along with some darker ones. By mid-morning, the clouds have moved in over the city, and the rain starts in the early afternoon. It typically lasts for about an hour, often coming down in buckets. If you get caught, stay where you are for a while, if possible. The worst will probably soon pass, and the sun will come out again to dry everything off. Lightning dramatic There may be another downfall in the evening or during the night, usually accompanied by dramatic displays of lightning and crashes of thunder. ‘Summer’ Panama weather starts in December and ends around April. There are very few rainy days during these months, and the humidity drops noticeably. This weather pattern, with better weather when it’s winter in the north, makes Panama an ideal place for Snowbirds. The Caribbean side of the country, in popular tourist region Bocas del Toro, for example, has considerably more rain as the clouds from the Pacific cross over the mountain range and meet cooler air. This is a favorite place for surfers, so maybe they don’t care as much about the Panama weather. Panama City climate The average high temperature in Panama City (most of which is near sea level) has been 87°F (30°C) over the past 13 years. The hottest months were February and March (90°F, 32°C), and the coolest month was October (85°F, 29°C). Average nighttime temperatures vary only slightly throughout the year, between 76°F (24°C) and 78°F (25°C). The highest and lowest temperatures recorded in that period were 102°F (38°C) and 68°F (20°C). Humidity can take some getting used to in Panama City. Over the past 11 years, average morning relative humidity has ranged between 87% and 93%, with the lowest months being March and April. Average afternoon relative humidity has ranged between 59% and 81%. On average, October has been the most humid month. The Panama weather? The choice is yours. Dial a temperature and make yourself at home.
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Two boys sit at the base of a 500-year-old higa tree. The Spanish word higa also means contemptuous gesture. At 500 years, you're entitled to a few contemptuous gestures!