Previously, we have discussed the seasons of the year in El Salvador, but this time we will specifically talk about when winter starts in El Salvador.
If you are not familiar with El Salvador’s climate, it is important to know that snowfall is uncommon in Salvadoran territory. Although frost or snow has fallen in some high-altitude areas, such as El Pital, broadly speaking, there is no snowfall in El Salvador. Therefore, when we talk about winter in El Salvador, we are referring to the rainy season.

Since the four seasons are not distinctly marked in El Salvador, the two main seasons are simply called the dry season (the months when it does not rain) and the rainy season (the months when it does rain).
To Salvadorans, this rainy season is what is understood as winter.
When does winter start in El Salvador?
Up until around the year 2015 and earlier, the rainy season would start very punctually. The first rains would begin in the month of May.
For instance, the onset of winter was marked by the first rains and the appearance of the “zompopos de mayo.” For those who don’t know, the “zompopos de mayo” are a type of large ant (what is called “zompopo” in El Salvador) that would emerge from the ground with the first rains of the year.
As the climate has been changing, the first rains might come earlier or later, but officially the rainy season begins in the month of May.
Below, we share a small video showing a heavy rain in El Salvador. It doesn’t always rain like this, so if you’d like to visit El Salvador, don’t worry, as these types of rains are not an everyday occurrence during the rainy season.
Also, an example of a more typical rain, neither heavy nor light, but normal.
What is this season like?
This rainy season is quite typical; people simply know that there is a chance of rain in the afternoons or evenings.
Although it doesn’t rain every day, we explain this further below.
How often does it rain?
Despite being called the “rainy season,” this does not mean it rains every day. It doesn’t rain every day, but there is a constant chance of rain, especially during the night.
If you visit El Salvador during this season, you can check the weather forecast. For example, if you are in San Salvador, you can search for “San Salvador weather forecast,” and if you are in Santa Ana, you can search for “Santa Ana weather forecast,” and so on, depending on which department of El Salvador you are in.
This way, you can find out the likelihood of rain for that day or the next.
Something that is unusual but tends to happen at least once a year is that Salvadoran territory may be affected by rains due to a tropical depression, a tropical storm, or a hurricane.
In these cases, the weather becomes unpleasant, and the sky remains cloudy for about two or three days, and for a significant part of that time, it stays rainy.
Colder or Frosty Season
For Salvadorans, winter is the season when it rains, but it’s also worth mentioning that the coldest season in El Salvador is between the end of December and March.
I know this very well because when I was a student, I had to get up early, and the coldest mornings were between January, February, and even March; but you could start feeling that cold weather a bit from the end of December.
Therefore, it’s an interesting fact that the coldest months of the year in El Salvador are not typically the “winter” months or the rainy season, but rather months that belong to the dry season.