El Calafate weather in October

In October, El Calafate sees average daytime highs of 10°C and overnight lows near 1°C, with 53 mm of precipitation across 9.4 wet days and about 13.5 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 8°C in the first days to 11°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 36 min at the start of October to 14 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is El Calafate's 2nd-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see El Calafate's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10°
6th warmest
Overnight low
6th coldest
Precipitation
53 mm
9.4 wet days
Daylight
13 h 36 min
6:48 AM – 8:21 PM
Cloud cover
60%
2nd clearest
Wind
8 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
5.32 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.1
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 October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 8°C in the first days to 11°C by the end.

A typical October day in El Calafate reaches about 10°C in the afternoon and slips back to 1°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 6°C and 13°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 3°C warmer than September and about 3°C cooler than November.

-5°10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
180
280
381
491
591
691
791
891
991
1091
1191
1291
1391
1491
1591
16101
17101
18101
19102
20102
21102
22102
23102
24102
25102
26112
27112
28112
29112
30112
31112

How October really feels in El Calafate

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

El Calafate weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-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 October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 25% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 23% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14654
24654
34654
44753
54753
64753
74654
84753
94753
104852
114951
125050
135050
145050
155050
165050
175050
185050
195149
205149
215149
225050
235050
245050
254951
264951
274951
284951
294852
304852
314852

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitationSnow

El Calafate gets around 53 mm of rain and snow over 9.4 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 31% and peaks near 33% on the wettest days, and about 4 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
12711
22711
32811
42811
52912
62912
73012
83012
93012
103112
113112
123212
133212
143312
153312
163312
173312
183312
193212
203212
213211
223211
233111
243111
253110
263110
273110
283010
293010
30309
31309

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, October 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 October

Winds average 8 km/h in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 7 km/h on the calmest days to 9 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 36 min at the start of October to 14 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 114 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 7:20 AM to 6:19 AM, and sunset from 7:56 PM to 8:46 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.67:207:56
212.77:187:58
312.77:167:59
412.87:138:01
512.97:118:03
612.97:098:04
713.07:078:06
813.07:058:07
913.17:028:09
1013.27:008:11
1113.26:588:12
1213.36:568:14
1313.46:548:16
1413.46:528:17
1513.56:508:19
1613.66:488:21
1713.66:458:22
1813.76:438:24
1913.76:418:26
2013.86:398:27
2113.96:378:29
2213.96:368:31
2314.06:348:33
2414.06:328:34
2514.16:308:36
2614.26:288:38
2714.26:268:39
2814.36:248:41
2914.36:238:43
3014.46:218:45
3114.56:198:46

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 5.32 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 — October's 5.32 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.4Bright
24.4Bright
34.5Bright
44.6Bright
54.7Bright
64.7Bright
74.8Bright
84.9Bright
94.9Bright
105.0Bright
115.1Bright
125.1Bright
135.2Bright
145.2Bright
155.3Bright
165.3Bright
175.4Bright
185.5Bright
195.5Bright
205.5Bright
215.6Bright
225.7Bright
235.7Bright
245.8Bright
255.8Bright
265.8Bright
275.9Bright
286.0Bright
296.0Intense
306.0Intense
316.1Intense
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit El Calafate?

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

2.1
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

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

What to pack for El Calafate in October

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

In October, El Calafate sees daytime highs around 10°C and nights near 1°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 9 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protection

UV index in El Calafate in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. 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
October 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).