Spanish climate vocabulary covers essential words and phrases to describe weather patterns, seasons, and natural phenomena in Spanish.

Understanding climate vocabulary in Spanish helps you talk about weather conditions, describe the environment, and participate in everyday conversations about nature. This guide covers the most common terms used for seasons, temperatures, weather events, and climate descriptions.

Seasons

Spanish has four main seasons, each with its own vocabulary and associated weather patterns.

Spanish (Sing./Pl.)	English (Sing./Pl.)	Spanish Example	English Example
la primavera / las primaveras	spring / springs	La primavera es mi estación favorita.	Spring is my favorite season.
el verano / los veranos	summer / summers	En verano, hace mucho calor.	In summer, it is very hot.
el otoño / los otoños	autumn / autumns	Las hojas caen en otoño.	The leaves fall in autumn.
el invierno / los inviernos	winter / winters	En invierno, nieva en las montañas.	In winter, it snows in the mountains.

En ___, nieva en las montañas.

How do you say 'winter' in Spanish?

primavera

invierno

verano

otoño

invierno

'Invierno' is the Spanish word for 'winter,' which is the season when it often snows in the mountains.

Temperatures

Talking about temperature is key to describing the climate and planning daily activities.

Spanish Singular	Spanish Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
el frío	-	cold	-	Tengo frío hoy.	I’m cold today.
el calor	-	heat	-	Hace mucho calor en verano.	It’s very hot in summer.
el frío extremo	-	extreme cold	-	En el polo hay frío extremo.	There is extreme cold at the pole.
el calor intenso	-	intense heat	-	Hay calor intenso en el desierto.	There is intense heat in the desert.

Weather Events

These terms help you describe common weather phenomena in Spanish.

Spanish Singular	Spanish Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
la lluvia	-	rain	-	La lluvia empieza a las tres.	The rain starts at three.
la nieve	-	snow	-	La nieve cubre las montañas.	The snow covers the mountains.
la tormenta	las tormentas	storm	storms	Hay una tormenta esta noche.	There’s a storm tonight.
el viento	-	wind	-	El viento sopla fuerte hoy.	The wind blows strongly today.
la niebla	-	fog	-	La niebla es muy densa al amanecer.	The fog is very thick at dawn.

Climate Descriptions

Use these adjectives and phrases to describe the overall climate of a region.

Spanish Singular	Spanish Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
cálido / cálida	cálidos / cálidas	warm	warm	El clima es cálido en la costa.	The climate is warm on the coast.
frío / fría	fríos / frías	cold	cold	El invierno es muy frío aquí.	The winter is very cold here.
húmedo / húmeda	húmedos / húmedas	humid	humid	La selva es un lugar húmedo.	The jungle is a humid place.
seco / seca	secos / secas	dry	dry	El desierto es muy seco.	The desert is very dry.
templado / templada	templados / templadas	mild	mild	El clima es templado en primavera.	The climate is mild in spring.

Natural Phenomena

These terms describe larger, sometimes extreme, events related to climate.

Spanish Singular	Spanish Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
el huracán	los huracanes	hurricane	hurricanes	El huracán causó muchos daños.	The hurricane caused a lot of damage.
el terremoto	los terremotos	earthquake	earthquakes	El terremoto fue de magnitud 7.	The earthquake was magnitude 7.
la sequía	las sequías	drought	droughts	La sequía dura cinco meses este año.	The drought lasts five months this year.
la inundación	las inundaciones	flood	floods	Las inundaciones afectan a la ciudad.	The floods affect the city.
el tornado	los tornados	tornado	tornados	Se formó un tornado en el campo.	A tornado formed in the countryside.

With this foundation, you can confidently describe the climate, talk about the weather, and understand conversations about nature in Spanish.

Las ___ afectan a la ciudad.

How do you say ‘flood’ in Spanish?

sequías

inundaciones

tormentas

tornados

inundaciones

'Inundaciones' means 'floods.' 'Sequías' are droughts, 'tormentas' are storms, and 'tornados' are tornados.

Flashcards (1 of 23)

English (Sing./Pl.): spring / springs
English Example: Spring is my favorite season.

Next Up: Disasters

Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025