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La Paz is known to be the highest capital in the world. The city is in fact in the Bolivian Andean plateau at over 3,600 meters high, the highest areas of the city exceed 4,000 meters in height. Its high altitude position means that La Paz has a type of high mountain climate with rainy summers and dry winters. The rains are not very abundant, the average quantity is just over 600 mm per year. Most of the rains fall between December and March, with January being the rainiest month. The months between May and August are the driest of the year, and the months of June and July are the driest ever.
THE PRECIPITATIONS
La Paz has an average of 120/124 rainy days per year. During the rainy season – between December and March – the city has an average monthly variable between the 16 rainy days of March and the 21 rainy days of the month of January. The average annual humidity is 64%. But the average monthly humidity varies considerably between 78% in the months of January and February and 51% in the month of June. During the winter months sometimes light snowfalls can fall.
TEMPERATURES
Temperatures due to altitude are quite cold. The average annual temperature of the central area of the city – which is about 3,600 meters high – is 11 ° C. While in the highest area of La Paz – which exceeds 4,000 meters in height – the average annual temperature is around 7 ° C. In the central area of the city the average maximum temperatures vary between 17 ° C in the winter months and 19 ° C in the summer months. While the average minimum temperatures vary between 6 ° C in the summer months and 1 ° C in the months of June and July. The coldest month is July while the hottest month is November. La Paz has an average of 2,469 hours of sunshine per year.
WHEN TO GO TO LA PAZ
La Paz can be visited all year round, but the best season for travel is the dry and cold period between April and October. During this time of year the city often presents clear and sunny skies.
THE CLIMATE OF LA PAZ: CLIMATE TABLES
| LA PAZ (Aeropuerto Internacional El Alto)(4058 meters) | ||||
| Month | Average low (°C) | Average high (°C) | Precip. (mm) | Precip. days |
| January | 4,4 | 14,3 | 133,7 | 20,7 |
| February | 4,4 | 14,3 | 104,7 | 15,8 |
| March | 3,6 | 14,2 | 71,7 | 14,2 |
| April | 1,0 | 14,4 | 31,7 | 9,8 |
| May | -1,9 | 14,4 | 14,3 | 3,6 |
| June | -4,3 | 14,0 | 5,1 | 2,8 |
| July | -4,4 | 13,5 | 7,1 | 2,8 |
| August | -3,0 | 13,7 | 15,2 | 5,1 |
| September | -1,0 | 15,3 | 35,5 | 8,2 |
| October | 1,5 | 15,3 | 38,1 | 10,4 |
| November | 2,1 | 17,0 | 50,5 | 11,5 |
| December | 3,6 | 15,7 | 94,9 | 15,5 |
| YEAR | 0,5 | 15,0 | 602,5 | 120,3 |
