Cape Verde is warm all winter. On Sal, days average 26.1°C in December, 25.0°C in January and 24.9°C in February, nights stay around 20°C, and it almost never rains: 9 mm falls in the five months from November to March, on average. Praia, on Santiago, is the warmest of the three islands in the official normals, at 27.8°C by day over the winter. January and February are the coolest months, not cold ones.
Below: the three islands compared on official climate averages, the answer month by month, the whole year on Sal, and how Cape Verde compares with the Canary Islands.
Cape Verde in Winter: the Table
These figures are the World Meteorological Organization's 1991-2020 climate normals, the official averages for Cape Verde's weather stations, as archived by the US National Centers for Environmental Information (WMO climate normals). The archive has three Cape Verde stations: Sal, Praia on Santiago, and Mindelo on São Vicente. There is no Boa Vista sheet; for Boa Vista, the nearest of the three is Sal, its neighbour to the north. The Mindelo sheet has no rainfall figures. "Day high" and "night low" are the average daily maximum and minimum from November to March. Sorted warmest by day first.
| Station | Day high | Night low | Rain, Nov to Mar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Praia (Santiago) | 27.8°C | 20.6°C | 14 mm |
| Sal | 25.9°C | 20.0°C | 9 mm |
| Mindelo (São Vicente) | 25.2°C | 21.3°C | not recorded |
The spread is small. All three average 25.2°C to 27.8°C by day over the winter, and no station averages below 18.8°C at night in any winter month. Praia has the hottest days, Mindelo the mildest nights and Sal the coolest ones.
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Month by Month
Day high / night low at each station, and rain on Sal:
| Month | Sal | Praia (Santiago) | Mindelo (São Vicente) | Rain on Sal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | 28.1°C / 22.5°C | 29.8°C / 22.8°C | 27.5°C / 23.7°C | 1 mm |
| December | 26.1°C / 20.5°C | 27.8°C / 21.1°C | 25.8°C / 22.0°C | 3 mm |
| January | 25.0°C / 19.2°C | 26.7°C / 19.8°C | 24.4°C / 20.5°C | 3 mm |
| February | 24.9°C / 18.8°C | 26.9°C / 19.5°C | 24.0°C / 20.0°C | under 1 mm |
| March | 25.2°C / 18.9°C | 27.8°C / 19.8°C | 24.4°C / 20.2°C | under 1 mm |
November: Sal averages 28.1°C by day and 22.5°C at night, with 1 mm of rain in the month. Praia is the warmest by day (29.8°C) and Mindelo the mildest at night (23.7°C).
December: Sal averages 26.1°C by day and 20.5°C at night, with 3 mm of rain in the month. Praia is the warmest by day (27.8°C) and Mindelo the mildest at night (22.0°C).
January: Sal averages 25.0°C by day and 19.2°C at night, with 3 mm of rain in the month. Praia is the warmest by day (26.7°C) and Mindelo the mildest at night (20.5°C).
February: Sal averages 24.9°C by day and 18.8°C at night, with under 1 mm of rain in the month. Praia is the warmest by day (26.9°C) and Mindelo the mildest at night (20.0°C).
March: Sal averages 25.2°C by day and 18.9°C at night, with under 1 mm of rain in the month. Praia is the warmest by day (27.8°C) and Mindelo the mildest at night (20.2°C).
Each month links to our Cape Verde weather page for that month, which also shows the sea temperature. Those pages use a model average for Sal, which can differ from these station normals: by about a degree at night, and on the small monthly rain totals.
Is Cape Verde Hot in Winter?
Warm rather than hot. Sal's coolest month of the year is February, at 24.9°C (77°F) by day and 18.8°C (66°F) at night. Its warmest is September, at 30.1°C. So winter on Sal is about 5°C cooler by day than late summer: shorts-and-T-shirt weather with a light layer for the evening.
If you want the most heat in January or February, Praia on Santiago averages 26.7°C and 26.9°C by day, against 25.0°C and 24.9°C on Sal.
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Does It Rain in Cape Verde in Winter?
Hardly. Sal gets 75 mm of rain in an average year, and only 9 mm of it from November to March, with less than one rain day a month. Praia is wetter over the year (177 mm), but its winter total is 14 mm. The rain that does fall comes late in summer: the three wettest months are August to October in Praia and on Sal.
Cape Verde Weather Through the Year
The whole year on Sal, with Praia's rain for comparison:
| Month | Sal day high | Sal night low | Rain on Sal | Rain in Praia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25.0°C | 19.2°C | 3 mm | under 1 mm |
| February | 24.9°C | 18.8°C | under 1 mm | under 1 mm |
| March | 25.2°C | 18.9°C | under 1 mm | under 1 mm |
| April | 25.5°C | 19.6°C | 1 mm | 0 mm |
| May | 26.1°C | 20.6°C | under 1 mm | under 1 mm |
| June | 27.0°C | 21.6°C | 0 mm | 0 mm |
| July | 28.1°C | 22.8°C | 2 mm | 6 mm |
| August | 29.6°C | 24.2°C | 13 mm | 55 mm |
| September | 30.1°C | 24.8°C | 35 mm | 75 mm |
| October | 29.6°C | 24.1°C | 16 mm | 27 mm |
| November | 28.1°C | 22.5°C | 1 mm | 4 mm |
| December | 26.1°C | 20.5°C | 3 mm | 8 mm |
Cape Verde or the Canary Islands in Winter?
Cape Verde is a longer flight than the Canaries but clearly warmer in winter, by day and especially at night. The Canary figures below are the Spanish weather service's 1981-2010 airport averages (AEMET), the same data as our warmest place in Spain in winter guide, so the periods differ from the Cape Verde normals and the comparison is approximate.
| Place | Day high, Nov to Mar | Night low, Nov to Mar | January day high |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sal, Cape Verde | 25.9°C | 20.0°C | 25.0°C |
| Tenerife (south), Canaries | 22.9°C | 16.1°C | 21.7°C |
| Lanzarote, Canaries | 22.2°C | 15.2°C | 20.7°C |
| Gran Canaria, Canaries | 22.1°C | 16.0°C | 20.8°C |
| Fuerteventura, Canaries | 22.0°C | 15.7°C | 20.6°C |
Over the five winter months, Sal averages 3.0°C more by day than Tenerife (south), the warmest Canary airport in the table, and 3.9°C more at night than the mildest Canary nights. In January, Sal averages 25.0°C by day against 21.7°C at Tenerife Sur Aeropuerto. For a closer look at the Canaries, see which Canary Island is warmest in winter.
The trade-off is the flight. TUI lists its London Gatwick to Sal flight at 6 hours 15 minutes (TUI travel advice for Sal), against about 4 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 40 minutes from Gatwick to the Canaries (see the Canary guide for the flight times). Cape Verde is one hour behind the UK in winter.
How to Choose
- Christmas and New Year: Sal at 26.1°C by day in December, with 3 mm of rain in the month. See our Christmas sun holidays guide for how it compares with Egypt, the Canaries and long haul.
- The warmest days: Praia on Santiago, at 27.8°C on average from November to March.
- The mildest nights: Mindelo on São Vicente, at 21.3°C.
- January and February: the coolest time of year, but still 24.0°C or more by day at all three stations.
- Driest: every month from November to March is dry; Sal averages less than 5 mm in each.
For more warm places a similar distance away, see winter sun holidays from the UK and the Cape Verde weather overview.
Plan It in Dream Trip
A Cape Verde trip usually starts as a handful of saved TikToks, Instagram reels and Google Maps pins: a beach bar in Santa Maria, a boat trip, a hike on another island. Dream Trip puts them on one map.
- Save what you find: send the places you see on TikTok, Instagram and Google Maps to one map.
- See the islands together: check whether your saves sit on one island or need an inter-island hop.
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FAQ
What is the weather like in Cape Verde in December?
Warm and dry. Sal averages 26.1°C by day and 20.5°C at night, with 3 mm of rain in the month. Praia is the warmest by day (27.8°C) and Mindelo the mildest at night (22.0°C). See Cape Verde weather in December.
Is Cape Verde warm in January?
Yes. January is one of the coolest months of the year, but Sal still averages 25.0°C (77°F) by day and 19.2°C at night, and Praia 26.7°C. See Cape Verde weather in January.
What is the weather like in Cape Verde in February?
Much like January: 24.9°C by day and 18.8°C at night on Sal, with under 1 mm of rain in the month on average. See Cape Verde weather in February.
What is the weather like in Cape Verde in March?
Still dry and a touch warmer by day: Sal averages 25.2°C by day and 18.9°C at night, with under 1 mm of rain in the month. Praia is the warmest by day (27.8°C) and Mindelo the mildest at night (20.2°C). See Cape Verde weather in March.
Is Cape Verde hot at Christmas?
Warm rather than hot. In December Sal averages 26.1°C (79°F) by day and 20.5°C at night, and Praia 27.8°C, with only a few millimetres of rain in the month. Our Christmas sun holidays guide compares it with other places for the festive weeks.
Is Cape Verde warmer than the Canary Islands in winter?
Yes. From November to March Sal averages 25.9°C by day and 20.0°C at night, against 22.9°C and 16.1°C at Tenerife Sur Aeropuerto, the warmest Canary airport by day.
When is the rainy season in Cape Verde?
Late summer and early autumn. Praia gets 89% of its year's rain in August, September and October. From November to March it is dry at both stations that record rain, Sal and Praia.
Which Cape Verde island is warmest in winter?
Santiago, by day: Praia averages 27.8°C from November to March, against 25.9°C on Sal and 25.2°C in Mindelo. São Vicente has the mildest nights.
