What is the Weather on Kilimanjaro?
The short answer is that the temperatures on Mount Kilimanjaro range from hot to bitter cold. The journey from the gate to the peak is like traveling from the equator to Antarctica in a matter of days. This is because the routes to the Uhuru peak cross different ecological zones. Mount Kilimanjaro has five major ecological zones, each approximately 3,280 feet (1,000 m) in altitude. Each zone is subject to a corresponding decrease in rainfall, temperature and life as the altitude increases.
Moshi, the gateway town from which our climbs are organized, is located just south of the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. At 2,667 feet (900 m) above sea level, the town is located in the lowest, warmest ecological zone. Average temperature, humidity and precipitation figures for Moshi are reflected in the following table.
Average Temperature, Humidity and Precipitation in Moshi, Tanzania |
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Month |
Low (F) |
Average (F) |
High (F) |
Humidity (%) |
Rainfall (in) |
January |
64 |
78 |
92 |
58 |
1.4 |
February |
64 |
78 |
92 |
57 |
2.0 |
March |
66 |
78 |
90 |
63 |
4.7 |
April |
67 |
76 |
85 |
73 |
13.8 |
May |
65 |
72 |
79 |
77 |
9.3 |
June |
62 |
70 |
78 |
72 |
1.5 |
July |
60 |
69 |
78 |
69 |
1.0 |
August |
60 |
70 |
80 |
66 |
0.7 |
September |
60 |
71 |
83 |
61 |
0.6 |
October |
62 |
75 |
88 |
57 |
1.0 |
November |
64 |
76 |
89 |
57 |
2.5 |
December |
64 |
77 |
90 |
60 |
2.1 |