GreenlyGardening in Bolivia: climate, frost dates and crops by region
We worked out the season of 11 cities of Bolivia from ten years of weather: the frost-free season lasts from 73 days in Potosí to 330 days in Sucre. The last spring frost comes first in Sucre (around 5 August) and last in Potosí (around 21 November). 5 of the cities had no frost at all.
Climate zones of Bolivia
By the days between the last spring frost and the first autumn frost.
| Zone | Cities | Frost-free days | Last spring frost | First autumn frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 270 frost-free days or more | Cochabamba, Sucre, Tarija | 290 – 330 | 5 August – 27 August | 13 June – 1 July |
| 210–269 frost-free days | Oruro | 216 | 26 September | 30 April |
| 150–209 frost-free days | La Paz | 181 | 21 October | 20 April |
| Short season: under 150 frost-free days | Potosí | 73 | 21 November | 2 February |
| No frost in ten years | Riberalta, Cobija, Trinidad, Montero, Santa Cruz de la Sierra | — | — | — |
How the regions of Bolivia differ
Splitting the cities in two — north (Riberalta, Cobija, Trinidad and 2 more) and south (Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Oruro, Sucre and 2 more): the warmest month averages 32.8 °C by day in the north and 22.9 °C in the south; the north gets about 1,746 mm of rain a year and the south about 861 mm.
The gap between the warmest month’s days and the coldest month’s nights is widest in Cochabamba (19.4 °C) and smallest in Riberalta (13.6 °C): the smaller it is, the milder both winter and summer. Trinidad is the wettest of these cities with 2,103 mm a year, Oruro the driest with 603 mm. The hottest summer days are in Riberalta (33.4 °C on average in the warmest month), the coolest in Potosí (14.4 °C). In 1 of the 11 cities at least one month averages below 0 °C at night; the longest such winter is in Potosí (June–August).
Which crops suit which part of Bolivia
Season long enough: the days from planting to the first autumn frost cover the days to the first harvest on the plant card. Each window starts on the Greenly calendar date and ends on the last day that still leaves the crop’s days to harvest (from its card) before the average first autumn frost, plus six weeks of picking for crops harvested over weeks (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, watermelons, beans) — our rule; earlier in the window is safer.
| Crop | Planting out or sowing | Season long enough | Tight or too short |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | 12 August (Sucre) – 10 March (Sucre) | 5 of 6: La Paz, Cochabamba, Oruro, Sucre and Tarija | 1 of 6: Potosí |
| Cucumber | 21 August (Sucre) – 15 April (Sucre) | all 6 | — |
| Bell Pepper, Eggplant | 21 August (Sucre) – 10 March (Sucre) | 5 of 6: La Paz, Cochabamba, Oruro, Sucre and Tarija | 1 of 6: Potosí |
| Zucchini | 21 August (Sucre) – 13 April (Sucre) | all 6 | — |
| Pumpkin | 21 August (Sucre) – 5 March (Sucre) | 5 of 6: La Paz, Cochabamba, Oruro, Sucre and Tarija | 1 of 6: Potosí |
| Watermelon | 21 August (Sucre) – 21 March (Sucre) | 5 of 6: La Paz, Cochabamba, Oruro, Sucre and Tarija | 1 of 6: Potosí |
| Peas | 15 July (Sucre) – 17 April (Sucre) | all 6 | — |
| Garlic | Autumn planting: 3 January (Potosí) – end of June (La Paz) | — | — |
| Tulip, Daffodil, Crocus, Hyacinth | Autumn planting: by 21 March (La Paz) | — | — |
Cities without a spring frost: months that suit each crop
Months whose average day is not above the highest temperature on the plant card and whose average night is not below its lowest.
| City | Tomato | Cucumber | Bell Pepper | Eggplant | Watermelon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riberalta | none | all year | January–June | none | all year |
| Cobija | none | all year | January–June | none | all year |
| Trinidad | none | all year | February–July | none | all year |
| Montero | May–July | August–May | February–August | April | August–May |
| Santa Cruz de la Sierra | May–August | September–April | December–September | March | September–April |
Cities of Bolivia: weather in numbers
| City | Frost-free days | Warmest month, day | Coldest month, night | Rain a year | Driest month | Places to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riberalta | no frost | September, 33.4 °C | July, 19.8 °C | 1,722 mm | July | 3 |
| Cobija | no frost | September, 33.2 °C | July, 18.9 °C | 1,827 mm | July | 5 |
| Trinidad | no frost | September, 32.8 °C | July, 19.2 °C | 2,103 mm | July | 10 |
| La Paz | 181 | November, 15.5 °C | July, 0.3 °C | 890 mm | June | 27 |
| Montero | no frost | October, 31.6 °C | June, 17.3 °C | 1,746 mm | July | — |
| Cochabamba | 312 | October, 23.2 °C | June, 3.8 °C | 1,009 mm | June | 33 |
| Santa Cruz de la Sierra | no frost | October, 30.4 °C | June, 16.5 °C | 1,609 mm | July | 29 |
| Oruro | 216 | November, 18.9 °C | June, 0.3 °C | 603 mm | July | 15 |
| Sucre | 330 | October, 22.9 °C | June, 6.1 °C | 861 mm | June | 15 |
| Potosí | 73 | October, 14.4 °C | June, -0.9 °C | 825 mm | June | 15 |
| Tarija | 290 | October, 25.2 °C | July, 6.2 °C | 1,380 mm | June | 15 |
ERA5 2016–2025 via Open-Meteo, 25 km grid cell of each city; dates by the Greenly calendar and the plant cards.
