Potosí weather in January
January in Potosí: cool, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 24 rainy days.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#12 of 12 months in Potosí · #621 of 1413 destinations to visit in January · comfort 74/100 (tier B)
- Days
- 14°C
- Nights
- 5°C
- Wet days
- 24
- Sun
- 10.6 h
- Humidity
- 77%
- Daylight
- 13 h

Traveller notes on Potosí in January
Other months in Potosí
Forum posters describe Bolivia's rainy season as running roughly late December through March, with March still solidly within it though conditions improve noticeably as April approaches. Posters specifically discussing the Altiplano, where Potosí sits, note rain here usually isn't a major problem for city-based travel, though it's still wise to build in a few spare days for potential delays. Posters describe the typical pattern as heavy afternoon rain for a few hours rather than an all-day event, with rains generally easing toward the end of March. Posters do caution that March isn't ideal for trekking or mountain excursions specifically, since peaks are often shrouded in cloud this time of year. Posters generally rate March as still rainy but genuinely improving for Potosí, city sightseeing more reliable than mountain-based activities.
Forum posters place September within Bolivia's dry season (roughly May-September) and its spring shoulder (September-November) - genuinely one of the better windows, with plenty of sunshine and very little rain across the Altiplano and salt flats. The clear tradeoff, though, is night cold: even with excellent, continuously clear daytime skies, nighttime temperatures on the high plain drop sharply, and posters say a proper sleeping bag or well-insulated accommodation is essential rather than optional. One seasonal caveat specific to this time of year: farmers burning cleared land in August-September can create haze that dulls the views on some days.
Add your own note from Potosí's card on the map.
Potosí climate normals — January
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Potosí 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.
Quietschool holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Potosí'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 weatherPotosí's weather doesn't swing hard through the year — comfort stays fairly steady in every month.
What's on in Potosí in January
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Altiplanic winter storms
1 Dec – 15 Mar · usuallyRiskThe high-country storm season of the southern summer: afternoon hail and rain most days, and the unpaved roads out to the Salar and towards Sucre wash out for a day at a time. Source ↗
Where is Potosí?
Potosí in January — FAQ
- Is January a good time to visit Potosí?
- January in Potosí: cool, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 24 rainy days. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Potosí on SeasonMap's comfort score (74/100).
- What is the weather like in Potosí in January?
- In January, Potosí averages a daily high of 14°C and a low of 4.9°C, with about 153.5 mm of rain over roughly 24.1 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Potosí in January?
- Potosí has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 25 in January.