Ica weather in January
January in Ica: hot, a little rain, with clean air — an excellent time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#10 of 12 months in Ica · #451 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 81/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 30°C
- Nights
- 21°C
- Wet days
- 7
- Sun
- 10.6 h
- Humidity
- 68%
- Daylight
- 13 h
Traveller notes on Ica in January
Other months in Ica
Most of Peru's December forum chatter is really about the Andean highlands around Cusco and Machu Picchu, where the wet season is just getting going - that's a different climate story entirely from Ica's coastal desert. Ica itself stays close to its year-round dry, sunny pattern regardless of what the Andes are doing at the same time, with real rain a genuine rarity here even in December. It's worth remembering these are two separate weather systems within the same country when planning a Peru itinerary that includes both.
Forum posters describe June as winter in this coastal desert region, with comfortable daytime temperatures around Ica and nearby Paracas but genuinely strong afternoon winds worth planning around. Posters are careful to distinguish this coastal desert climate from Peru's much colder Andean highlands (Cusco, Puno and similar high-elevation stops on a broader itinerary), where nighttime temperatures can drop toward freezing and heavy layering is standard advice - conditions in Ica and at the Huacachina oasis specifically stay milder than that highland cold even in June. Posters note June's relative quiet is a real plus at Huacachina, with the sand dunes seeing lighter crowds than peak season.
Add your own note from Ica's card on the map.
Ica climate normals — January
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Ica in January
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.
Peak crowdsNavidad Negra in El Carmen, Summer / year-end holidays in Peru, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Ica'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).
Fair weatherIca's weather doesn't swing hard through the year — comfort stays fairly steady in every month.
What's on in Ica in January
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Hazard
Highland rains and huaicos
15 Jan – 31 Mar · usuallyFlood seasonRain in the Andes sends mudflows and river surges down into the desert valleys; in bad years the Ica, Ocucaje and Nazca areas flood and the Panamericana Sur is cut for hours. Source ↗
- Festival
Navidad Negra in El Carmen
24 Dec – 6 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedA day trip north to El Carmen in Chincha, where the Afro-Peruvian Hatajo de Negritos and Las Pallitas dance to violin through Christmas; 27 December, the feast of the Virgen del Carmen, draws the biggest crowds. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Ica — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Ica?
Ica in January — FAQ
- Is January a good time to visit Ica?
- January in Ica: hot, a little rain, with clean air — an excellent time to visit. It ranks #10 of 12 months for Ica on SeasonMap's comfort score (81/100).
- What is the weather like in Ica in January?
- In January, Ica averages a daily high of 29.8°C and a low of 20.8°C, with about 32.2 mm of rain over roughly 6.8 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Ica in January?
- Ica has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 22 in January.
Within 300 km: Paracas' Sea lion pups on the Ballestas around 15 Dec – 15 Mar, and Lima's Beach season on the south coast on 1 Jan – 31 Mar.