What Is The Weather Like In Oaxaca In November?

Oaxaca City sits inland in the Valles Centrales of southern Mexico at about 1,550 m, and November is the month the rainy season gives way to the dry one. The SMN station normals for 1991 to 2020 put the average daily high at 29.0 C and the average nightly low at 12.3 C, with just 9.1 mm of rain over the whole month. Daytime feels warm rather than hot, nights are cool enough for a jacket, and the pattern is steady enough that planning around the forecast matters less than in summer. This page sets out what the station data says, what that means for packing, and how November fits alongside the rest of the year; the month-by-month detail continues in Oaxaca Weather By Month.

In November, Oaxaca City averages a daytime high of 29.0 C and a nighttime low of 12.3 C, with only 9.1 mm of rain across the entire month, according to the SMN station 20079 climate normals for 1991 to 2020. November sits at the start of the dry season, which runs from November to April, so rain falls on roughly 3 to 4 days in the month and usually briefly.

The contrast with October is sharp. October still carries 63.1 mm of rain on the same station record, and September 163.6 mm, so November is the month the afternoon downpours of the rainy season taper off. Daytime temperatures barely change from October to November: the average high goes from 29.3 C to 29.0 C. What changes is the rain, and with it the character of the days.

The daily swing is the other defining feature. A 29.0 C afternoon and a 12.3 C night span nearly 17 degrees, which is typical of highland valley cities. Anyone out for the evening around the Zócalo or the Andador Macedonio Alcalá will want a layer after sunset, while midday on an exposed site like Monte Albán can feel considerably warmer than the shade. There is no winter snow in the city at any point in the year, and November is nowhere near cold by any measure.

Because the city is inland, nothing about November weather involves the sea. The Pacific coast is a far extension of a trip, reached by a long drive over the mountains, and its weather is a separate question from the valley record.

How Much Rain Does Oaxaca Get In November?

November averages 9.1 mm of rain in total, with rain on about 3.5 days across the month, per the SMN normals for 1991 to 2020. That places it firmly inside the dry season, which the station record defines as November to April, and it follows an October that still averages 63.1 mm. Rain, when it comes, is light and brief rather than the sustained afternoon storms of June through September.

The table below shows November against the months on either side of it, so the transition is visible in the figures themselves.

Read down the rain columns and the story is simple: the wet season peaks between June and September, collapses through October and lands at single-digit millimetres in November, where it stays until spring. Daytime highs, meanwhile, hardly move at all between September and January, all clustering around 29 C. The lows fall steadily, from 16.1 C in September to 10.3 C in January, which is why November nights feel noticeably cooler than summer nights even though the afternoons do not.

The lower humidity of the dry months is part of what makes a 29 C afternoon comfortable in the valley. The station normals do not publish a humidity figure for the month, but the drop in rainfall days from 12.0 in October to 3.5 in November tells most of the story on its own.

For anyone weighing November against other times of year, the month-by-month comparison and the factors beyond weather are covered in What Is The Best Month To Go To Oaxaca?.

November's dry streets and mild afternoons suit walking better than any other mode, and the city rewards it: the historic centre is compact, and a guided walk pairs well with the season. Beyond the centre, the same conditions hold across the valleys, at Monte Albán about 15 minutes away by road and at the craft villages further out.

What Should You Pack For Oaxaca In November?

Pack for a 17-degree daily swing: short sleeves for afternoons near 29 C, a warm layer for nights near 12 C, and something for the sun at about 1,550 m of altitude. Rain protection is a low priority in November given 9.1 mm across the month, but the station normals are averages, so a light packable layer covers the exception.

Daytime calls for the same wardrobe as a warm Mediterranean autumn: breathable shirts, a hat and sunscreen. Sun exposure at valley altitude is stronger than at sea level, and the sites with the least shade, such as Monte Albán and Yagul, are also the ones with the most open ground. The INAH page for Monte Albán lists hours from 08:00 to 17:00 with last access at 16:00, and mornings are the comfortable end of that window. More of these guides are collected on Oaxaca Travel Guide.

Evenings are the part visitors underestimate. A 12.3 C average low means restaurants with outdoor seating and any evening plans around the Zócalo want a jacket or a fleece. Visitors sensitive to cooler nights, or anyone booking rooftop dining, should plan one genuinely warm layer rather than a cardigan.

Footwear deserves a note for the day trips rather than the city. Hierve el Agua lies about 57 minutes from the Zócalo by road, and the paths around the pools and the petrified falls are unpaved; the same applies to trails in the Sierra Norte, where conditions are cooler again at higher elevation. Sturdy shoes matter more in November for the terrain than for any mud.

A guided walk through the historic centre makes direct use of November conditions, and the operator's booking page carries the current price and departure details. Check availability before locking in the rest of a day plan.

Is November A Good Time To Visit Monte Albán And The Valleys?

November is a well-suited month for the archaeological zones and valley villages around Oaxaca City: the dry season has begun, average highs hold near 29 C, and the sites keep their full opening hours. Monte Albán, Mitla and Yagul all open Monday to Sunday 08:00 to 17:00 per their INAH pages, and admission at the Category I sites is 105 MXN for Mexican nationals and 210 MXN for foreign visitors.

The practical advantage of November over the summer months is not the temperature, which stays within a degree or two all year, but the reliability. With about 3.5 rain days in the month against 21.4 in September, a morning at Monte Albán or a loop through the Tlacolula Valley is far less likely to be disrupted. The sites are unshaded, so the dry season's strong sun is the thing to plan around, not the heat alone.

The valley destinations sit at varying distances from the centre, all derived from road routing and rounded up:

Real traffic and mountain roads make these slower in practice, and the drive to Hierve el Agua in particular involves a sustained climb on the last stretch. Nothing about those roads is closed for the season in November; the dry months simply make them more predictable. For fitting the sites into a stay, How Many Days In Oaxaca Is Enough? works through the trade-offs.

One scheduling note that does not depend on weather: the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca at Santo Domingo opens Tuesday to Saturday only, 10:00 to 16:00, and Zaachila's archaeological zone opens Thursday to Sunday, 10:00 to 16:00. A rainy afternoon is the classic moment for the museum, and in November, when rain is rare, these closed days matter more than the forecast does.

How Does November Compare With The Rest Of The Year In Oaxaca?

November belongs to the dry half of the year, November to April, where rainfall runs from 9.1 mm down to 2.4 mm per month, against a rainy season from May to October that peaks at 188.3 mm in June. Average highs stay between 28.9 C and 34.9 C in every month of the year, and average lows range from 10.3 C in January to 16.7 C in June, so the calendar changes the rain far more than the temperature.

The full station record makes the point month by month.

April carries an average high of 34.9 C and December and January the coolest nights at 11.0 C and 10.3 C, but November needs no qualifier beyond its own figures: warm afternoons, cool nights and a rain total of 9.1 mm. November and December are nearly identical on rain, 9.1 mm against 9.0 mm, so the choice between them comes down to everything except weather.

The city fills for Día de Muertos at the start of the month, a festival whose traditional dates centre on 31 October to 2 November; the state's published programme of more than 140 activities belongs to the 2025 edition, and the 2026 programme had not been announced as of the latest check, so anyone planning around the festival should confirm current dates before booking. Late November, after the festival window, sits in the same weather on quieter streets.

Common Questions About November Weather In Oaxaca

What Is The Weather Like In Oaxaca In November?

November in Oaxaca City averages a high of 29.0 C, a low of 12.3 C and 9.1 mm of rain for the whole month, per the SMN station normals for 1991 to 2020. It is the first month of the dry season, with rain on about 3.5 days.

Is November Rainy In Oaxaca?

No. November averages 9.1 mm of rain on about 3.5 days, down from 63.1 mm in October. The rainy season runs May to October and peaks June to September; November to April is the dry season.

Is Oaxaca Cold In November?

Afternoons average 29.0 C, which is not cold, but nights average 12.3 C in a city at about 1,550 m, so evenings want a jacket. There is no winter snow in the city at any time of year.

What Should I Wear In Oaxaca In November?

Short sleeves and sun protection for the day, a warm layer for the evening, and comfortable shoes for cobbled streets and unpaved paths at sites such as Monte Albán and Hierve el Agua.

Does November Weather Affect Day Trips From Oaxaca City?

It helps them. With the dry season underway, drives to Mitla, about 37 minutes, or Hierve el Agua, about 57 minutes, are less likely to be disrupted by rain, though mountain roads are slower in real traffic than the free-flow figures.

Is November Or December Better For Oaxaca Weather?

The two months are nearly identical on rain, 9.1 mm against 9.0 mm, and average highs of 29.0 C and 28.9 C. December nights are slightly cooler at an average low of 11.0 C against 12.3 C in November.

In short, November delivers the dry season's opening act to Oaxaca City: warm, sunny afternoons near 29 C, cool highland nights near 12 C, and a rain gauge that barely registers.