Friday, January 16, 2026

Forecast for Mexico is cold in the north, wet and windy in the south

Cold Front 28 is moving down Mexico’s eastern coast bringing more freezing temperatures to the high-elevation areas in the north of the country and heavy rains to the south.

The National Meteorological Service (SMN) predicts intense downpours (75-150mm) in Chiapas, Tabasco and Veracruz, very heavy rains (50-75mm) in parts of Oaxaca and Puebla, and heavy rains (25-50mm) in parts of Campeche, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas and Yucatán. Lighter rains and scattered showers are also forecast for much of central and northern Mexico.

Cold Front 28 is forecast to create freezing conditions in the mountainous regions of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Durango. (SMN)

Residents in affected areas are advised to stay alert for warnings from Civil Protection, as heavy rains may be accompanied by storms and flooding in low-lying regions.

Meanwhile, the mass of Arctic air will trigger a “Norte” event affecting parts of central Mexico, with gusts of wind reaching 90-100 kilometers per hour in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and waves up to four meters high on its Pacific coastline.

Winds of 70-90 kilometers per hour and waves 2-3 meters high will also hit the coasts of Tamaulipas, and winds of 40-60 kilometers per hour are forecast for Tabasco, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí and Zacatecas. These could be accompanied by tornados inland. 

The Tabasco coast may see waves 1-2 meters high.

Chihuahua has been buffeted by freezing conditions this winter, and Cold Front 28 promises to bring more. (Gabriel Hernández/X)

Conditions will again send temperatures plunging in the mountains of northern Mexico, reaching as low as -10 degrees Celsius in parts of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Durango, and between -5 degrees and 5 Celsius in the high-altitude regions of central and southern Mexico. The coldest temperatures may be accompanied by snow and ice.

“The population is advised to take preventive measures like wrapping up warm and hydrating well, avoiding sudden changes of temperature, and paying special attention to the chronically ill, children and older adults,” the SMN warned.

At the other end of the spectrum, Friday may see 40 degrees Celsius in parts of Campeche, Chiapas, Colima, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Nayarit, Oaxaca, Quintana Roo and Yucatán, and 35 degrees Celsius in Morelos, Puebla and Sinaloa.

The weather in the Valley of Mexico will be cloudy and cool, with light winds and possible icy conditions in the surrounding mountains.

Mexico News Daily

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