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WEATHER
Santiago boasts an ideal
climate, which explains why 80% of the population lives here.
The seasons are well defined, with hot summers (maximum 28ºC
to 32ºC (82ºF to 90ºF) in Santiago, one of Chile's warmest
cities; fall and spring with cool, pleasant breezes; and
short winters with low temperatures, only occasionally
dipping below 0ºC (32ºF).
Winter daytime temperatures may reach 18ºC (64ºF) but
usually hover around 14ºC (57ºF). Rainfall, generally
restricted to the winter months, increases towards the south.
Humidity is low, reducing the disagreeable effects of heat
and cold.
General Chile
As may be expected in a country that extends so far from
north to south, Chile has many different climatic zones, but
all are cooled by the Humboldt current which originates in
subantarctic waters off the Pacific Coast . Together with
the prevailing southwesterly winds, this creates a temperate
climate in most of northern and central Chile , even in
areas that lie in tropical latitudes.
Since Chile lies deep in the Southern Hemisphere, the
seasons fall at opposite times of year from the Northern
Hemisphere. Thus, the summer months are December, January
and February, while June, July and August are the winter
months. When it is spring in North America or Europe , it is
autumn in Chile , and vice versa. January and February are
the peak travel months except, of course, at ski resorts.
Needless to say, it is essential to take the inversion of
seasons into account when planning a trip.
Chile 's far south has a cool, damp climate, but severe cold
is rare except at higher elevations. The moderating effect
of the ocean prevents extreme heat waves in the summer and
keeps temperatures from falling very low in the winter. Thus
there is very little difference in temperature from one
season to the next. Average annual temperatures are 6 °C at
Punta Arenas in the far south, 11 °C at Puerto Montt further
north, 14 °C at Santiago, 16 °C at Antofagasta and 18 °C at
Arica in the far north.
Rainfall, on the other hand, is more variable. North of 27 °
South latitude , there is virtually no rainfall at all.
Moisture comes mostly in the form of heavy mists.
In north-central Chile , rainfall is heaviest in the winter
months. As a general rule, precipitation increases as you
head south, culminating in south-central Chile , where it
rains year-round and sometimes heavily.
The area around Cape Horn can often be stormy. Rainfall
tends to be lighter in some other parts of the far south
such as Punta Arenas , which falls in the rain shadow of the
drier eastern slopes of the Andes .
Chile can be divided into three major climatic areas — very
arid in the north, cool and damp in the south, and what can
be characterized as a Mediterranean climate in central Chile
, with pronounced seasonal differences: heavier rainfall in
the cooler months from May to August, and sunshine the rest
of the year. It does occasionally snow in Santiago and other
parts of central Chile , but the snow usually melts quickly
except in the mountains. In the north, the interior of the
Atacama desert has some of the world's highest levels of
solar radiation.
SANTIAGO DE CHILE |
VIÑA DEL MAR |
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SAN PEDRO DE ATACAMA |
CALAMA |
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