Climatic variability in the Andean regions of Colombia is high, both spatially and temporally. It should be analyzed in the short and long term, depending on the information available. This type of spatio-temporal analysis generates tools for environmental planning and management in urban areas. Given the high complexity of the meteorological processes that occur in the Andean region and in the tropics, these must be studied, understood and disseminated. This research focuses on a diagnosis of the diurnal cycle, the analysis of the monthly structure of precipitation and rain events, based on information collected from ground stations located in the city of Manizales, Caldas (Colombia), which contributes to the estimation of the city’s design storm. Results show a strong influence of the Intertropical Confluence Zone (ITCZ) on intra-annual city rain behavior: intra-daily, there are significant variations in precipitation across the city; and throughout the day, it rains the least in the morning and the most at night. Recorded rain events are intense, with average durations of 20 minutes, confirming the high spatial-temporal variability. The dimensionless pattern of the observed rainstorms are the basis for the design storm for the city’s hydraulic infrastructures.