Barquisimeto sits in a dry inland valley and has a warm, semi-arid climate — daytime highs around 30 °C most of the year, dropping a few degrees in December and January. The wet season runs from May to November, with most rain falling in short evening storms; the dry months from December to April are dusty but reliable.
The biggest reason to time a visit is La Divina Pastora, on 14 January, when a wooden statue of the Virgin is carried from the village of Santa Rosa into Barquisimeto in a procession that draws several million people. It is one of the largest Marian gatherings in the world and turns the entire city into a single moving crowd. Outside that date, late November to early March offers the most comfortable weather.