Cali weather in October
October in Cali: hot, soaked, with clean air — a gamble, with 26 rainy days.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#12 of 12 months in Cali · #1253 of 1413 destinations to visit in October · comfort 54/100 (tier D)
- Days
- 29°C
- Nights
- 19°C
- Wet days
- 26
- Sun
- 7.3 h
- Humidity
- 83%
- Daylight
- 12 h

Traveller notes on Cali in October
Cali-forum threads on October weather (part of the broader Colombia-in-October discussion) describe a fairly predictable daily rhythm rather than a washed-out month: a clear morning, then one to three hours of heavy rain, followed by a fresh, cooled-down afternoon. Posters are consistent that being inside the rainy season doesn't mean constant rain - it just means more rain days on average, with the actual disruption to a day's plans usually limited to that single afternoon window. One regular comparing Cali to other Colombian cities calls it a bit hotter but otherwise not too bad. The standing advice is simply to schedule outdoor plans for morning or evening and treat the early-afternoon rain as a built-in break rather than a lost day. The record: 28.5C days feeling like a sticky 32C, 19.3C nights, a notably high 346mm across 25.8 days, 83 percent humidity and 7.3 hours of sun - the wettest entry on Cali's whole calendar, exactly matching the rainy-season framing.
Other months in Cali
Colombia-forum threads on the July-August stretch call it 'summer' around Cali specifically - sunny, windy, and hot, one of the drier windows on the calendar even though forecasts keep predicting rain that mostly shows up as a few minutes of tropical shower rather than a washout. Posters are explicit that Colombia's weather varies hugely by region within the same month - the Caribbean coast running hot and sticky, Medellin and Salento staying cooler - so Cali's own read shouldn't be assumed to travel. One reassurance repeated on the forum: mosquitos aren't a real concern around Cali in this window. The record complicates the low-rain reputation a little: 29.6C days feeling like 33C, 18.5C nights, 140mm of rain across a notably high 16.3 days, 80 percent humidity and 8.5 hours of sun - sunny and windy in the gaps between real, frequent showers.
Cali forum posters describe the city's valley-and-mountains setting as making weather genuinely unpredictable - a clear forecast can still produce what one local called a humongous downpour within the same period, and residents reportedly trust their own read of conditions over official forecasts. A practical tip shared by a Cali local: wind is a better rain predictor here than the sky itself, since the valley usually sits light and calm, and a pickup in wind often means rain arrives within an hour or two. One broader Colombia thread also noted that in La Niña years the rainy season can run unusually long, pushing the typical dry stretch later than usual.
Forum posters describe Cali's weather forecasts as genuinely unreliable, warning that a clear forecast can still deliver a huge downpour given the city's valley setting - posters recommend watching the wind instead, since Cali's valley location keeps air normally calm, and a noticeable pickup in wind often signals rain within an hour or two. Posters are direct that rain here comes and goes rather than lasting all day, describing it as either raining or not raining rather than a sustained wet spell. Posters discussing Colombia's broader climate note real elevation-driven variation across the country - Cartagena at sea level, Bogotá and Medellín much higher and cooler - with Cali's own lower-elevation setting keeping it consistently warm year-round. Posters generally recommend an umbrella on hand regardless of forecast for a Cali visit.
Cali forum regulars call July one of the drier months in the region: July and August are normally some of the driest months, and while forecasts talk of rain, in reality it is usually just a few minutes of tropical showers. Heat is the more constant factor — Cali is characterized by hot weather year-round, given its near-equatorial position with no real seasonal swing. One visitor who traveled the June-August window reported the weather never impacting any of their plans, consistent with the general read that July works fine if the heat itself is tolerable. Mosquitoes aren't flagged as a particular July concern around Cali specifically. Our record: 25.3°C days, 17.6°C nights, 140.7mm of rain and 14 rain days — warm and genuinely wetter than the “driest months” framing implies, though likely still arriving as the short, intense tropical showers the forum describes rather than sustained rain.
Add your own note from Cali's card on the map.
Cali climate normals — October
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Cali in October
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
BusyOctober recess week in Colombia(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Cali's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Toughest weatherCali's weather peaks July–September.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Cali in October
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Nature
Humpback whales at Bahia Malaga
15 Jul – 15 Oct · usuallyWhale seasonHumpbacks come to calve off the Pacific coast, with the best odds in August and September. From Cali it is about two and a half hours to Buenaventura and a boat to Juanchaco, so plan at least one night. Source ↗
- Festival
Festival Mundial de Salsa
20 Sep – 31 Oct · usuallyMusic festivalCali's dance schools and couples compete in the city's own salsa championship over four days, usually in late September or October. Separate from the Feria in December and much easier on the hotel prices. Source ↗
- Festival
Cali International Film Festival
15 Oct – 20 Nov · usuallyA week of screenings, talks and workshops across the city's cinemas and cultural centres, traditionally in November, though recent editions have moved into late October. Source ↗
- Season
Wet season
MonsoonRisk26 rainy days and about 346 mm in the month — the real kind of rainy season, not afternoon showers.
from the climate normals
Where is Cali?
Cali in October — FAQ
- Is October a good time to visit Cali?
- October in Cali: hot, soaked, with clean air — a gamble, with 26 rainy days. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Cali on SeasonMap's comfort score (54/100).
- What is the weather like in Cali in October?
- In October, Cali averages a daily high of 28.5°C and a low of 19.3°C, with about 346.3 mm of rain over roughly 25.8 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Cali in October?
- Cali has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 27 in October.