Dominican Republic Travel Weather




What's the Weather Like When Traveling to the Dominican Republic?

The Dominican Republic is located in the north central Caribbean and is part of the Greater Antilles archipelago. It occupies approximately the eastern two thirds of the island of Hispaniola with Haiti to the west. It has a population of about nine and a half million people, making it the second most populated country in the Caribbean after Cuba. Santo Domingo, the capital of The Dominican Republic was the first permanent European settlement in the Americas.

The Dominican Republic is a very mountainous country with peaks over ten thousand feet in the Cordillera central. Occasionally snow may fall on the peaks during winter. The mountains cause a great variation in the climate across the country. Hurricanes also can affect The Dominican Republic, especially the eastern and southern coasts. The reason for this is due to fact that most hurricanes approach from either the east over the Lesser Antilles, or from the southeast after passing through the eastern Caribbean Sea.

The Dominican Republic Rainfall
The rainfall pattern is complex across The Dominican Republic. Rainfall can be over 100 inches per year over the windward slopes of the northeastern mountains. The moist tropical wind flow from the trade winds supplies abundant moisture to build heavy showers on many days. This is especially true during the summer. The southwestern part of the country is the driest. Some valleys on the lee side of the mountains may only receive about 15 inches of rain per year on average.

Santo Domingo as well as the whole country except the north coast experiences a wet season from May through October. Rainfall amounts on average are between 5 1/2" to over 7 inches. The north coast faces the trade winds directly and has a wet season from October to January. The two driest months for most of the country are February and March when between two and two and one-half inches of rainfall occurs each month. Tropical storms and hurricanes do affect The Dominican Republic occasionally and can bring 10-20 inches or more of rainfall. Heavy rainfall from these tropical cyclones have caused loss of life from flash flooding and mudslides.

The Dominican Republic Temperatures
Temperatures in the Dominican Republic change very little during the year. Summer highs average in the upper 80's and winter highs in the mid 80's. Summer lows drop to the lower 70's and winter lows into the upper 60's. The temperatures can vary significantly across the country. The southwestern arid regions can top out in the 90's with records near or over 100 degrees during the summer. Winter temperatures can be below freezing near the highest points of the Cordillera Central. Frost is even possible in the highest valleys.

The Dominican Republic Travel Weather Summary
The Dominican Republic has a complex climate regime due to its very high mountains. Most of the resorts are located in the beach areas, which has a very comfortable, mild climate. Many days are filled with sunshine with a passing shower. Vacationers wishing to minimize their chance of seeing rain should travel in the late winter or early spring. Travelers should stay informed on tropical weather information, especially during the hurricane season.

Sunrise / Sunset Times (All times are for the first day of each month)

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Month
 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Sunrise 7:12 7:13 6:59 6:34 6:13 6:03 6:07 6:18 6:25 6:30 6:40 6:56
Sunset 6:15 6:34 6:46 6:54 7:02 7:13 7:20 7:15 6:54 6:28 6:07 6:02

The Dominican Republic travel weather quick summary -
  • The Dominican Republic travel weather - hottest months: June through October
  • The Dominican Republic travel weather - coolest months: January, February
  • The Dominican Republic travel weather - wettest months: May, September, October
  • The Dominican Republic travel weather - driest months: February,March

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Month
 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Average High 85 85 85 86 87 87 88 89 89 88 87 85
Record High 91 90 91 94 93 96 96 95 95 96 93 91
Average Low 67 67 68 70 72 73 73 73 73 72 71 71
Record Low 60 59 59 62 61 65 65 65 67 64 62 60
Days of Rain 7 6 6 7 11 10 11 12 11 13 9 9
Average Rainfall 2.48" 2.24" 2.12" 2.83" 7.39" 5.52" 5.69" 6.98" 7.12" 7.35" 3.93" 3.32"

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