Vocabulary

Spanish weather vocabulary

Learn Spanish weather vocabulary and natural phrases for sun, rain, wind, temperature and forecasts.

Quick answer

Spanish weather phrases often use “hace,” “hay,” “está” or a weather verb like “llueve.” Do not translate “it is” every time.

Natural Spanish weather phrases

Use these phrases for small talk, travel and everyday plans.

Spanish phraseEnglish meaningUseExample
Hace sol.It is sunny.Weather conditionHace sol esta mañana.
Hace frío.It is cold.TemperatureHace frío en invierno.
Hace calor.It is hot.TemperatureHace calor en julio.
Hace viento.It is windy.Weather conditionHace mucho viento hoy.
Está nublado.It is cloudy.Sky conditionEstá nublado, pero no llueve.
Llueve.It is raining.RainLlueve mucho en abril.
Nieva.It is snowing.SnowNieva en la montaña.
Hay tormenta.There is a storm.Severe weatherHay tormenta esta noche.
Hay niebla.There is fog.VisibilityHay niebla por la mañana.
El tiempo está cambiando.The weather is changing.General commentEl tiempo está cambiando rápido.

Weather uses different Spanish patterns

Say “hace frío,” “está nublado,” “hay tormenta” and “llueve.” Spanish does not use one single structure for every weather idea.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Saying es frío for weatherUse “hace frío” for “it is cold” outside.
  • Translating “it rains” as ello llueveSpanish simply says “llueve.” No subject pronoun is needed.
  • Confusing tiempo and vezWeather is “el tiempo”; an occurrence or time is often “vez”.

Try it yourself

Describe today’s weather in three short sentences.

  1. Say whether it is sunny, cloudy or raining.
  2. Add temperature with “hace frío” or “hace calor”.
  3. Say one plan affected by the weather.

FAQ

How do you say “it is sunny” in Spanish?

Say “Hace sol.”

How do you say “it is raining”?

Say “Llueve.”

Does tiempo mean time or weather?

Tiempo can mean weather or time, depending on context.