Montevideo Weather by Month: Temperatures, Rain and the Best Time to Visit

Summer: December to March

Summer brings the warmest weather of the year. Average highs run 26.4 C in December, 27.8 C (82 F) in January and 27.0 C in February, with lows between 17.1 and 18.8 C. The absolute maximum of the whole 1991-2020 period was 38.7 C (102 F), recorded in January. This is the season when most tourists arrive, and the beaches are the main draw, with most of them certified ISO 14001 for management.

Carnaval runs from the end of January to mid-March, and the sunniest months fall here too, with Carrasco recording 287.0 sunshine hours in January against 131.5 in June.

Autumn: April to June

Autumn cools steadily. The city's tourism office puts the season at around 18 C (64 F), and the station numbers agree: the mean temperature falls from 18.1 C in April to 11.9 C in June. Average highs drop from 22.0 C in April to 15.6 C in June, and lows from 14.1 C to 8.2 C. April is the wettest month of the year at 111 mm, falling on 7 days, while May is the driest at 83 mm on 6 days.

Pack a jacket for evenings and expect the light to fade early by June.

Winter: June to August

July is the coldest month, with an average high of 14.7 C (58 F) and a low of 7.3 C (45 F). The lowest temperature of the whole 1991-2020 period was -2.7 C (27 F), in July, so a frost is possible. Humidity is highest in June at 82% in the 1961-1990 normals, and sunshine is scarce, with Carrasco recording only 131.5 hours in June.

The city's tourism office points visitors indoors for the season, to bars, theatre, museums and cinema. Two good indoor picks are Teatro Solis, which opened in 1856, and the Museo Andes 1972 in the Old Town.

Spring: September to November

Spring warms the city back up, and the tourism office again describes it as around 18 C (64 F). Average highs climb from 17.9 C in September to 20.7 C in October and 23.7 C in November, with lows from 9.8 C to 14.7 C. Rain stays steady at 7 days a month in September, October and November, between 92 and 102 mm. This is a good season for outdoor plans that do not need beach heat.

The tourism office suggests the Sunday Tristan Narvaja fair and the Prado parks. The fair has its own section on our page about shopping in Montevideo.

There Is No Rainy Season

Rain is spread almost evenly through the year. Every month sees 6 or 7 days with 1 mm or more of rain, adding up to 79 days a year and 1,142.7 mm. April is the wettest month at 111 mm and May the driest at 83 mm, a difference of just 28 mm between the extremes.

Practically, this means there is no dry month to plan around and no wet month to avoid. Instead of dodging rain, plan your trip around temperature and the city's calendar, and keep one indoor option ready for each day.

Wind on the Open Coast

Montevideo is windier by the sea than inland. In the 1961-1990 normals, the Prado station in the city averaged 3.7 m/s over the year, while Carrasco on the open coast by the airport averaged 5.7 m/s, with monthly means from 5.2 to 6.1 m/s. The difference matters because the Rambla runs along the open water, exposed to whatever the Rio de la Plata sends.

A walk that feels calm near the Old Town can feel sharp at the beach end. The airport side of the city is the windiest, so if you land at Carrasco International Airport on a blowy day, expect it on the transfer into town. A windproof layer is the single most useful item in a bag here.

Damp Winters, Not Frozen Ones

Winter here is cold-and-damp rather than cold-and-frozen. Relative humidity peaks in June at 82% in the 1961-1990 normals, with July close behind at 80%, and the annual average is 74%. Snow is a curiosity: flurries have been recorded only four times, never settling, and the last occasion was 13 July 1930, during the opening match of the first World Cup at what is now Estadio Centenario.

Pack warm layers and something water resistant rather than a heavy winter coat. June has the least sunshine of the year, 131.5 hours at Carrasco, so plan indoor stops between walks.

For Beaches and Long Evenings

December to March is beach season, with average highs of 26.4 to 27.8 C (82 F) and lows around 17 to 19 C. This is when most tourists arrive and when the city's beaches, most of them ISO 14001 certified, are at their best. Days are long, with Carrasco recording 273.7 to 287.0 sunshine hours in December and January. The beaches of Montevideo stretch east along the Rambla, and Pocitos is the easiest to reach from the centre.

Book accommodation early, since summer is the peak.

For Carnaval and Candombe

Montevideo calls its Carnaval the longest in the world, running from the end of January to mid-March. The Desfile Inaugural opens it on the last Thursday of January, and the Llamadas parade follows on the first Thursday and first Friday of February. Neighbourhood stages called tablados run through the season, and the official contest at the Teatro de Verano gathers murgas, parodistas, humoristas, revistas and comparsas.

The drum calls do not stop when Carnaval ends: every Sunday and many holidays, candombe llamadas fill the Sur, Palermo and Cordon districts, a practice UNESCO inscribed in 2009. Read the full calendar on our Carnaval in Uruguay page and more on candombe.

For Walking the City Without the Heat

Spring and autumn both sit around 18 C (64 F), which is comfortable walking temperature. Autumn cools from a 22.0 C high in April to 15.6 C in June, and spring warms from 17.9 C in September to 23.7 C in November. Both seasons keep the steady 6 or 7 rainy days a month, so carry a light rain layer.

These are the best months for long walks through Ciudad Vieja, the Rambla and the parks, and there is far more to see on our things to do in Montevideo page.

For a Cruise Call or a Day From Buenos Aires

Cruise ships dock at the port during the summer, right beside Ciudad Vieja, so a call gives you the Old Town, the Mercado del Puerto and Plaza Independencia on foot. See our cruise port page for what fits in a day. From Buenos Aires, the Buquebus ferry crossing takes a little over two hours, which makes a same-day or overnight trip realistic, as our Buenos Aires to Montevideo guide explains.

Once ashore, the hop-on hop-off bus tour covers both circuits with a 24-hour ticket, a good fit on a short call, and the small-group bike tour with picnic starts a 10 minute walk from the port.

The Official Forecast

INUMET is Uruguay's national meteorological institute and publishes the official forecast and weather warnings on its website at inumet.gub.uy. Check it the day before a Rambla walk, a beach afternoon or a ferry crossing, because wind matters as much as rain here. Keep in mind that the 1991-2020 averages on this page are climate normals, not forecasts.

A January average high of 27.8 C (82 F) does not promise that any single January day will be warm.

When the Weather Turns

A rainy day still leaves plenty. In the Old Town, the Museo Andes 1972 keeps you indoors for 45 to 90 minutes, and the Museo Andes 1972 admission ticket costs $8 with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Mercado del Puerto puts you under cover among the grill restaurants, though hours follow each restaurant, so read the menu and signs on arrival. Teatro Solis sits beside Plaza Independencia, and in the evening the El Milongon dinner show runs about 3 hours of candombe, tango and folklore with a three-course dinner for $107, with hotel pickup from selected central hotels.