Weather in Granada, Nicaragua

 

One complaint I hear a lot from people visiting Granada is that it is so damn hot here. Obviously these people are not from Texas. The highs typically top out around the low to mid 90s (Fahrenheit), which is about 10 degrees cooler than how hot it gets in Texas, which is regularly over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The predicted high for today is only 89.

The heat is enhanced a bit in the city, of course, but in the mountains it gets downright cool, especially in the evenings. When we moved here I left all of my sweaters and flannel shirts in Texas. I certainly don’t need them here in Granada, but friends of ours who live outside the city say they are definitely nice to have in the cool, jungle evenings.

The two factors that take some getting used to, even for a naturally hot blooded Texan, are:

1) The heat doesn’t end. There is no fall or winter. The highs might drop from 96 to 89, but for the most part temps are steady year round. There is a dry season and a rainy season.

2) It can get really humid here, especially in the rainy season as you might imagine.

However, unless you are out walking around in the afternoon, the heat and the humidity both are manageable. While most homes don’t have central air conditioning (maybe only window units in the bedrooms) the homes are built to harness natural air flow. Add ceiling fans to that equation, and even without air conditioning the house is completely comfortable. Same for restaurants and other establishments. Many larger restaurants and businesses will have central air conditioning, such as the La Colonia and La Union supermarkets, for instance.

But even if you are walking around on a hot afternoon, just mind the shadows. Unless the sun is directly overhead, one side of the street is always in shadow where it is much cooler.

You do occasionally bump into mystery cool spots. While walking to the market the other day I noticed the temperature drop from hot to what must have been the low 70s or even high 60s. My guess is that a storm heading our way was pushing cooler air in front of it, although a storm never materialized.

When it does rain don’t worry too much about being caught off guard without an umbrella. The city is build to accommodate rain so every building has a very long eave hanging out over the wide sidewalks.