How to Speak About the WEATHER in Spanish and IMPRESS the Locals 🌤️

One topic that is very safe to talk about is el clima (the weather). It’s the best icebreaker and everybody has an opinion about it. Additionally, it’s important that you know how to talk about the weather if you are going on a holiday. In this article, you will find out how to talk about the weather in Spanish.

1. Keep this in mind about weather in Spanish

There is an important note for you: in Spanish, people normally refer to the weather as el tiempo (time). For example: El tiempo está horrible (The weather is terrible). This expression does not make reference to la hora (time). 

Spanish weather-related expressions may be split into tres categorias (three categories): when the weather hace (does), when the weather es (is), and when hay (there is some kind of weather).

Now let’s imagine we are chatting with somebody from abroad and they start asking acerca del clima (about the weather): 

• ¿Cómo está el clima? (How’s the weather?) — If you are talking about the weather in general 
• ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy? (What’s the weather like today?) 

To respond, we may say: 

• Hace frío (It is cold) or Hace mucho frío (It is very cold). 
• Hace calor (It is hot) or Hace mucho calor (It is very hot).
• Hace fresco (It is chilly or cold).

Some months hace mucho frío (are very cold) and others hace mucho calor (are very warm).

To talk about the weather in general, to answer the same questions (¿Cómo está el clima? or ¿Qué tiempo hace?) we say “está” (it is): 

• Está soleado (It is sunny).
• Está lloviendo (It’s raining).
• Está granizando (It is hailing).

Algunas veces (sometimes) we’ll use the verb form “hay” to indicate that there is some kind of exciting weather: 

• Hay viento (It’s windy) — of course the literal translation would be “there is wind”. 

2. If no one asks about the weather

… you may still say: 

• Tengo frío (I’m cold) — Did you notice we use the verb “To have”, instead of the verb “to be” like it’s done in English? 
• Tengo calor (I am warm) 

You can always complete your sentences by stating how warm you are: “Tengo mucho calor” (I’m very warm) or “Tengo mucho frío” (I’m very cold). 

3. Basic Spanish weather words and sentences

• Está soleado o hace sol (It is sunny) ☀️
• Está nublado (It is cloudy) 🌥️
• Hace mucho frío (It’s very cold) 🥶
• Hace mucho calor (It is very warm) 🥵
• Está lloviendo (It’s raining) 🌧️
• Está nevando or Está cayendo nieve (It’s snowing) ☃️

4. More Spanish vocabulary to talk about the Weather

• ¡Qué calor hace! (It is very hot)
• Está rico el clima (What a pleasant weather)
• ¡Llueve a cántaros! (It’s raining pitchers/buckets!)
• ¡Me estoy congelando! (I’m freezing) 
• ¡Es un horno! (It’s an oven!)
• Hace mucho viento (It’s very windy) 
• Me estoy asando (I’m roasting) 
• Está templado (The weather is pleasant) 
• Está lloviznando (It’s drizzling)

In Veracruz, Mexico, there are two phenomena called “Norte”, which means “north”, and “Surada” (the closest translation would be “from the south”). Both are winds going really fast, sometimes hay vientos de más de 100 kilómetros por hora (there are winds of more than 100 kilometers per hour).

For this, people in Veracruz say:

• Hay norte (There is wind)
• Hay surada (There is wind from the south) 

5. Learn more phrases about the weather with FREE Spanish Training

“Muy bien! ¿Cómo está el tiempo?? What’s the weather like where you are? Está lloviendo o hace calor? Is it raining or is it warm?  Let me know in the comments! If you would like to learn more feel free to check out the other videos from me and the other Spring Spanish teachers on our channel for Spanish beginners! 

Now, if you’re ready to take it a step further and be able to talk about more than just the weather when you’re in a Spanish-speaking country, we have a free Spanish training on our website where you’ll discover the method we use in our Spring Spanish Academy to teach students to speak fluent Spanish. You also get some free sample Spanish lessons there that come straight from our Academy! If you’re interested, just click the link in the description to sign up!”