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colombian weather?

I know basically the whole country is different, but where is warmest between may - july? And where is coldest?

I read somewhere there's a rainy season between may - november in the north, is this right?

By Andy S on Feb 12, 2008, 19:38 in Friendly Talkzone.

jaramillo says on Feb 12, 2008, 19:48:

Temp in the tropics is tightly tied to altitude:

Low (Costa Atlántica, Choco, low regions in all provinces)=warm
Intermediate (Medellin, Armenia, Pereira, etc.)=temperate
High (Bogotá, Manizales, Pamplona)=Chilly

There's two rainy seasons due to the intertropical convergence:april-may and october-november, but things like El Niño and La Niña can really screw things up.

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Andy S says on Feb 13, 2008, 02:08:

cheers Jaramillo, so basically I can go to the Costa Atlantica any time of year and its going to be hot and sunny?

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jaramillo says on Feb 13, 2008, 05:23:

May-July should be dry and sunny. At other times you can easily get a rainy week in Cartagena. During the northern summer the solar equator hits Cartagena (I forget the precise month). The combination of increased solar heat and tropical moisture will produce clouds and haze. If by chance you get any, do not worry! A little haze in Cartagena is a blessing (Santa Marta is a lot dryer). If you're white, remember that in the Costa you can get a tan sitting in the shade. You do not want to look like one of those gringos burned like a lobster. Cheers!

p.s. 11am-2 pm is a time to AVOID the beach.

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Lowell says on Feb 13, 2008, 05:55:

On a somwhat similar note, I've noticed that the full moon here is so bright at times that you almost need sunglasses to look directly at it. The stars seem to be more brillant too. Why? Is the atmosphere more thin near the equator? Great for a good moon tan.

Alfred E. Newman. "What. Me Worry?"

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aztec says on Feb 13, 2008, 06:03:

Remember Colombia sits astride the equator. Therefore, climate depends mainly on the altitude and is basically the same year round.

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jaramillo says on Feb 14, 2008, 06:42:

Right Aztec. But to be more precise, Colombia sits near the geographical equator. Because of the variations in the position of the solar equator (due to the earth's 23 degree tilt) the solar equator visits Medellin twice a year. So we have two mild rainy seasons. For someone in the U.S. that is a trivial weather change (it's 3 Fahrenheit outside my window), but in Colombia it is the subject of much conversation. My mother tells me a bout the terrible "winters" they endure.

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