Climate zones in Mexico, 1991 to 2020
Share of Mexico's classified land in each Köppen-Geiger zone in 1991 to 2020. Zones under 0.05% are left out. The 2,497,867 map cells used cover 100% of the country's outline (about 1,953,846 km²).
By major group: B (arid) 51%, A (tropical) 26%, C (temperate) 23%.
Mexico has no single dominant climate. The biggest zone, Aw (tropical savannah), covers only 21% of its classified land in 1991 to 2020, followed by BSh (20%) and BWh (19%). 11 zones each cover 1% or more of it. In plain terms, tropical savannah means hot all year, with a clear dry season. Under the middle-of-the-road scenario (SSP2-4.5), 25% of its land is projected to be in a different zone by 2071 to 2099, with the biggest gain going to BSh (hot semi-arid (steppe)). The most common zone would then be BSh (hot semi-arid (steppe)).
How Mexico's zones have changed and may change
Each row compares a map with 1991 to 2020. "Share in a different zone" is the share of the country's area whose class is different from 1991 to 2020. Future rows are model projections under an emissions scenario, not forecasts.
| Map | Share in a different zone | Different major group | Biggest gain | Biggest loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 to 1930 (past) | 21% | 5.9% | BSh +3.8 percentage points | BSk -3.4 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP1-2.6 (low emissions) | 16% | 4.8% | BSh +6.3 percentage points | BSk -5.1 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 (middle of the road) | 25% | 8.6% | BSh +9.7 percentage points | BSk -7.5 percentage points |
| 2071 to 2099, SSP5-8.5 (high emissions) | 39% | 16% | BSh +14.6 percentage points | BSk -10.1 percentage points |
For the past row, the comparison runs the other way: the 1901 to 1930 map against 1991 to 2020.
Zone shares by map
| Zone | 1901 to 1930 | 1991 to 2020 | SSP1-2.6 (2071 to 2099) | SSP2-4.5 (2071 to 2099) | SSP5-8.5 (2071 to 2099) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aw Tropical savannah | 19% | 21% | 23% | 24% | 25% |
| BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | 16% | 20% | 27% | 30% | 35% |
| BWh Hot desert | 17% | 19% | 19% | 21% | 25% |
| Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | 13% | 12% | 9.2% | 7.1% | 3.8% |
| BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe) | 15% | 12% | 6.4% | 4.1% | 1.5% |
| Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | 5.1% | 6.5% | 7.5% | 6.7% | 5.1% |
| Am Tropical monsoon | 4.3% | 4% | 4.6% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Af Tropical rainforest | 1.1% | 1.4% | 0.9% | 0.7% | 0.4% |
| Cfa Humid subtropical | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.1% |
| Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean | 2% | 1% | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.4% |
| Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean | 2.1% | 1% | 0.5% | 0.2% | - |
| Cfb Temperate oceanic | 1.4% | 0.9% | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| BWk Cold desert | 3.1% | 0.5% | 0.1% | - | - |
Percentages are of the country's classified land in each map. A dash means under 0.05%.
Cities in Mexico and their climate zones
| City | 1991 to 2020 | 2071 to 2099, SSP2-4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) |
| Tijuana | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Iztapalapa | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) |
| Puebla | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter |
| Ecatepec de Morelos | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) |
| Santiago de Querétaro | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| León de los Aldama | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Ciudad Juárez | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Zapopan | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | Aw Tropical savannah |
| Guadalajara | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | Aw Tropical savannah |
| Mérida | Aw Tropical savannah | Aw Tropical savannah |
| Gustavo Adolfo Madero | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) |
| Monterrey | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Mexicali | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Chihuahua | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Cancún | Aw Tropical savannah | Aw Tropical savannah |
| Naucalpan de Juárez | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) |
| Hermosillo | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Culiacán | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Morelia | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter |
| Torreón | BWh Hot desert | BWh Hot desert |
| Álvaro Obregón | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) |
| San Luis Potosí | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Aguascalientes | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Saltillo | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Guadalupe | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) | BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe) |
| Acapulco de Juárez | Aw Tropical savannah | Aw Tropical savannah |
| Tlalnepantla | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) |
| Tlaquepaque | Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter | Aw Tropical savannah |
| Coyoacán | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) | Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter) |
| Tuxtla | Aw Tropical savannah | Aw Tropical savannah |
Zones found in Mexico
- Aw Tropical savannah
- BSh Hot semi-arid (steppe)
- BWh Hot desert
- Cwb Subtropical highland (dry winter)
- BSk Cold semi-arid (steppe)
- Cwa Humid subtropical with dry winter
- Am Tropical monsoon
- Af Tropical rainforest
- Cfa Humid subtropical
- Csa Hot-summer Mediterranean
- Csb Warm-summer Mediterranean
- Cfb Temperate oceanic
- BWk Cold desert
Data: Beck et al. (2023), CC BY 4.0; country outlines from Natural Earth. In 1901 to 1930 the most common zone was Aw. See data sources and licences.