Weather & Climate Archives - Focus On Mexico

Rainy Season at Lake Chapala

Here in Mexico's Lake Chapala area our rainy season runs from approximately June 15 to October 15 varying slightly from year to year. For instance in 2018 it rained all the way through Day of the Dead in November, and 2017 when the rainy season was mostly over by September 30. In 2019, we saw serious flooding in many areas of Mexico and several severe hail storms including one in Guadalajara that left almost 4 feet of hail on the streets. That one made the international news! These extreme events are rare, but even as recently as 2021 there was a period of heavy rain which precipitated some … [Read more...]

Top 8 Reasons Retirees Move to Lake Chapala

So you've worked hard for years and can finally look at retiring! That's great! But where will you live? For some people, getting out of the rat race and enjoying a much better quality of living for far less money is more than wishful thinking, it's their reality and one of the many reasons Lake Chapala is one of the top retirement destinations in the world. This article lays out what I feel are the top reasons why you too should consider Lake Chapala as a retirement destination. For the sake of brevity, I'm going to limit this to eight reasons why people fall in love with--and choose to … [Read more...]

Focus on Pátzcuaro

The month of May in Lakeside is hot (this year with temperatures often climbing to over 90F/32C). So we opted to explore the refreshingly cool high altitude city of Pátzcuaro, Michoacan, located about four hours south of Lakeside. At 7,000 feet altitude Pátzcuaro has all the charm of a high mountain town surrounded with forests, a beautiful plaza and many coffee shops from which to choose. With a population of ~80,000, Pátzcuaro is much quieter than nearby Morelia with its bustling population of ~800,000. One plus of both Morelia and Pátzcuaro as compared to Lakeside are the flat city … [Read more...]

Mexico Climate Highs and Lows

A Mexico Climate Overview Topography of Mexico The Climate in Mexico varies according to its topography. Along the coast (on both sides of the country) it is hot and humid, unbearably so in the summer. Inland communities at higher elevations such as Guadalajara (5200 ft above sea level) and in particular close-by Lake Chapala, are much dryer and more temperate. Mexico City (Ciudad de Mexico), with its much higher elevation of 7545 ft (2300 meters) above sea level, can reach freezing temperatures in the winter. You'll be surprised to find snow-capped volcanoes. San Miguel … [Read more...]

When is the Best Time to Visit Lake Chapala?

Now that we've established that one or more personal visits are in order to determine whether Lake Chapala might meet your retirement needs, what is the best time of year to visit? Well, it depends... Our six-day learning seminars give you a good view of Lakeside living, but there are also local activities which you can enjoy while you're here. Each of the currently scheduled Focus on Mexico week-long seminars will give you a slightly different view of the climate, surroundings, and activities available Lakeside: August - Bring your umbrella because you will get the opportunity to … [Read more...]