El Calafate weather in May

In May, El Calafate sees average daytime highs of 6°C and overnight lows near 0°C, with 66 mm of precipitation across 12.2 wet days and about 8.8 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 7°C in the first days to 4°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 36 min at the start of May to 8 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is El Calafate's 10th-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see El Calafate's year-round climate.

Daytime high
9th warmest
Overnight low
5th coldest
Precipitation
66 mm
12.2 wet days
Daylight
8 h 48 min
9:22 AM – 6:09 PM
Cloud cover
69%
10th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
1.19 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.4
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 May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 7°C in the first days to 4°C by the end.

A typical May day in El Calafate reaches about 6°C in the afternoon and slips back to 0°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 2°C and 9°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 4°C cooler than April and about 3°C warmer than June.

-5°10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
182
282
372
472
571
671
771
871
971
1071
1161
1261
1361
1461
1561
1660
1760
1850
1950
2050
2150
2250
2350
244-1
254-1
264-1
274-1
284-1
294-1
304-1
314-1

How May really feels in El Calafate

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May 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 May is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

El Calafate weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 9th-warmest and 3rd-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 May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 15% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 66%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13664
23664
33565
43565
53664
63565
73565
83565
93565
103565
113565
123565
133565
143565
153565
163466
173565
183565
193565
203466
213367
223367
233367
243268
253268
263268
273268
283169
293169
303070
312971

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

El Calafate gets around 66 mm of rain and snow over 12.2 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 39% and peaks near 42% on the wettest days, and about 6 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14213
24213
34213
44213
54213
64213
74113
84113
94014
104014
114014
123915
133915
143916
153916
163917
173918
183919
193920
203820
213821
223821
233822
243822
253823
263823
273823
283823
293723
303723
313623

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May 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 May

Winds average 6 km/h in May.

Across May, 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 May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 36 min at the start of May to 8 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 84 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 8:59 AM to 9:41 AM, and sunset from 6:34 PM to 5:52 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.68:596:34
29.59:016:32
39.59:026:30
49.49:046:28
59.49:056:26
69.39:076:25
79.29:086:23
89.29:106:21
99.19:116:20
109.19:136:18
119.09:156:16
129.09:166:15
138.99:176:13
148.99:196:12
158.89:206:10
168.89:226:09
178.79:236:07
188.79:256:06
198.69:266:05
208.69:286:03
218.69:296:02
228.59:306:01
238.59:326:00
248.49:335:59
258.49:345:57
268.49:355:56
278.39:375:55
288.39:385:54
298.29:395:53
308.29:405:53
318.29:415:52

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 1.19 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 — May's 1.19 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.522.5151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.6Dim
21.6Dim
31.5Dim
41.5Dim
51.5Dim
61.4Dim
71.4Dim
81.4Dim
91.4Dim
101.3Dim
111.3Dim
121.3Dim
131.3Dim
141.2Dim
151.2Dim
161.2Dim
171.2Dim
181.1Dim
191.1Dim
201.1Dim
211.1Dim
221.1Dim
231.1Dim
241.0Dim
251.0Dim
261.0Dim
271.0Dim
281.0Dim
290.9Dim
300.9Dim
310.9Dim
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit El Calafate?

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

0.4
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

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

What to pack for El Calafate in May

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

In May, El Calafate sees daytime highs around 6°C and nights near 0°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: a heavy coat and rain gear. About 12 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

UV index in El Calafate in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 1. 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
May 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).