Climate Characteristics

The climate at the mountain's foot is often warm and tropical, reflecting the equatorial climate of the region. Temperatures remain pretty constant throughout the year.

Mount Kilimanjaro has two wet seasons and two dry seasons. Long rains normally fall between March and May, whereas brief rains fall between November and December. June through October and January to February are the dry seasons.

Mount Kilimanjaro's different temperature zones provide diverse and magnificent vistas, making it a popular hiking and climbing destination. When attempting to climb the peak, it is critical to be well-prepared for changing weather conditions, since temperature, precipitation, and altitude can all have an affect on your experience. (18)

The bottom two regions of the mountain are quite humid with lots of green vegetation. As you head up the mountain the air pressure decreases and the climate gets drier, making the region of the mountain less hospitable to live in so vegetation is rarer and fauna is almost unheard of.  As hikers enter the Alpine region they must take a few days to acclimate to the "thin air" before they continue climbing, "thin air" referring to the less oxygen molecules in the atmosphere due to the lack of gravity holding them compressed together. (19)

Quez Warren, Addison Lilly