El Calafate weather in August

In August, El Calafate sees average daytime highs of 4°C and overnight lows near -2°C, with 53 mm of precipitation across 10.9 wet days and about 9.7 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 3°C in the first days to 5°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in August, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 54 min at the start of August to 10 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is El Calafate's 8th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see El Calafate's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10th warmest
Overnight low
-2°
3rd coldest
Precipitation
53 mm
10.9 wet days
Daylight
9 h 42 min
9:02 AM – 6:44 PM
Cloud cover
65%
8th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
1.94 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

El Calafate is town in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina.

Density
998/km²
people per km²
Founded
1927

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 3°C in the first days to 5°C by the end.

A typical August day in El Calafate reaches about 4°C in the afternoon and slips back to -2°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 1°C and 7°C. Set against its neighbours, August runs about 2°C warmer than July and about 3°C cooler than September.

-10°-5°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13-2
23-2
33-2
43-2
53-2
63-2
73-2
83-2
93-2
103-2
113-2
123-2
134-2
144-2
154-2
164-2
174-2
184-2
194-2
204-2
214-2
224-2
234-2
244-2
254-2
264-2
274-2
285-2
295-2
305-1
315-1

How August really feels in El Calafate

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
31
wind chill below the day's low

The story in August is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

El Calafate weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 10th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan16° / 5411.3015.74.7
Feb15° / 6310.10.314.34.6
Mar13° / 6712.20.612.53.5
Apr10° / 7211.92.810.52.0
May / 6612.25.58.80.4
Jun / -2°5010.17.87.90.0
Jul / -3°5010.68.58.30.0
Aug / -2°5310.98.59.70.0
Sep / -1°458.85.111.60.7
Oct10° / 539.43.613.52.1
Nov12° / 4710.11.615.23.4
Dec14° / 5711.70.716.14.0

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 22% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 61%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13268
23367
33367
43367
53367
63565
73565
83565
93664
103763
113862
123961
133961
144159
154159
164258
174258
184258
194258
204258
214357
224258
234258
244258
254258
264159
274258
284357
294357
304357
314456

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitationSnow

El Calafate gets around 53 mm of rain and snow over 10.9 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 35% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days, and about 9 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
13427
23427
33427
43427
53527
63528
73528
83628
93629
103629
113730
123730
133731
143731
153731
163730
173730
183729
193629
203628
213628
223527
233527
243526
253426
263425
273325
283324
293224
303223
313122

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of August feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, August lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in August

Winds average 6 km/h in August.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 6 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 54 min at the start of August to 10 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 102 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 9:29 AM to 8:31 AM, and sunset from 6:22 PM to 7:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.99:296:22
28.99:276:23
39.09:266:24
49.09:246:26
59.19:226:27
69.19:216:29
79.29:196:30
89.29:176:32
99.39:166:33
109.49:146:35
119.49:126:36
129.59:106:38
139.59:086:39
149.69:066:41
159.69:046:42
169.79:026:44
179.79:006:45
189.88:596:47
199.98:576:49
209.98:546:50
2110.08:526:52
2210.08:506:53
2310.18:486:55
2410.28:466:56
2510.28:446:58
2610.38:426:59
2710.48:407:01
2810.48:387:03
2910.58:357:04
3010.58:337:06
3110.68:317:07

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 1.94 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.82 kWh/m² to a high of 7.16 kWh/m² in December across the year — August's 1.94 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.4Dim
21.4Dim
31.5Dim
41.5Dim
51.5Dim
61.6Dim
71.6Dim
81.6Dim
91.7Dim
101.7Dim
111.8Dim
121.8Dim
131.8Dim
141.9Dim
151.9Dim
161.9Dim
172.0Dim
182.0Moderate
192.1Moderate
202.1Moderate
212.1Moderate
222.2Moderate
232.2Moderate
242.3Moderate
252.3Moderate
262.4Moderate
272.4Moderate
282.4Moderate
292.5Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.6Moderate
Planning a trip in August

Is August a good time to visit El Calafate?

Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

0.0
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

August is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in El Calafate.

What to pack for El Calafate in August

From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In August, El Calafate sees daytime highs around 4°C and nights near -2°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: a heavy coat and rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in El Calafate in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in El Calafate peaks around January 12 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 21 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highModerateLowModerateHighVery highJan 12UV 10Jun 21UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan10Extreme
Feb9Very high
Mar5High
Apr3Moderate
May1Low
Jun1Low
Jul1Low
Aug2Low
Sep3Moderate
Oct6High
Nov7High
Dec10Very high
Location & terrain

Where is El Calafate?

El Calafate sits at 50.3°S, 72.3°W, 205 m above sea level, in Argentina. The nearest listed city is El Chalten, 121 km away.

Río GallegosPunta ArenasLas HerasRío GrandePico TruncadoCoyhaique

Topography around El Calafate

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of El Calafate.

Within 3 km, the terrain around El Calafate has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 256 m around an average of 239 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,322 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,782 m.

The land around El Calafate is covered by grassland (54%) within 3 km, grassland (53%) and water (36%) within 16 km, and grassland (51%) and bare terrain (26%) within 80 km.

3 km
256 m
16 km
1,322 m
80 km
2,782 m
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewatermoss and lichen
August weather nearby: El Chalten 121 km · Puerto Natales 155 km · Río Gallegos 255 km · Punta Arenas 328 km · Las Heras 489 km · Río Grande 494 km · Pico Truncado 506 km · Coyhaique 530 km

Argentina travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / I
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 46% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$14,898
2025
Happiness
6.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Homicide rate
4.5
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
14.1
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
High
EF EPI 575
Religion
Roman Catholic 63%none 19%Evangelical 15%Jehovah's Witness and Church of Jesus Christ 1%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for El Calafate (-50.3407°, -72.2768°, elevation 205 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).