Climate and average weather in El Chalten
In El Chalten, the summers are cool, wet, and mostly cloudy and the winters are very cold, snowy, and mostly cloudy.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in El Chalten typically varies from -7°C to 8°C, and is rarely below -13°C or above 14°C. February is the hottest month of the year, while June is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, El Chalten has no standout warm-weather window — it stays modest all year, so any month is much like another for a visit.
- Hottest
- Feb
- 8°
- Coldest
- Jun
- -7°
- Wettest
- Apr
- 268 mm
- Driest
- Sep
- 179 mm
- Rain / yr
- 2795 mm
- 245 wet days
- Daylight
- 8.0–16.0 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 0 m
- 49.3°S
- Clearest
- Feb
- 72% cloud
El Chalten weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in El Chalten, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 3.0 months, from December 25 to March 26, with daily high temperatures above 6°C. The hottest month of the year in El Chalten is February, with an average high of 8°C and low of 1°C.
The cool season lasts 3.0 months, from May 26 to August 24, with daily high temperatures below -0°C. The coldest month of the year in El Chalten is June, with an average low of -7°C and high of -2°C.
Days typically run about 6°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 7 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 1 | -2 | -2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Avg low (°C) | 1 | 1 | 0 | -3 | -4 | -7 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | 1 |
| Feb | 8 | 1 |
| Mar | 7 | 0 |
| Apr | 4 | -3 |
| May | 1 | -4 |
| Jun | -2 | -7 |
| Jul | -2 | -7 |
| Aug | 0 | -6 |
| Sep | 1 | -5 |
| Oct | 3 | -3 |
| Nov | 4 | -2 |
| Dec | 6 | -1 |
How hot and cold El Chalten really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the coldest nights, wind chill pulls the feels-like down to about -11°C (around July 3), with roughly 365 freezing days a year (feels-like at or below 0°C) — 42 of them bitterly cold — worst in July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 7 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 1 | -2 | -2 | -1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Air high (°C) | 7 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 1 | -2 | -2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | -2 | -2 | -3 | -6 | -7 | -10 | -10 | -10 | -8 | -7 | -5 | -4 |
| Air low (°C) | 1 | 1 | 0 | -3 | -4 | -7 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -3 | -2 | -1 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | 7 | -2 | 1 |
| Feb | 8 | 8 | -2 | 1 |
| Mar | 7 | 7 | -3 | 0 |
| Apr | 4 | 4 | -6 | -3 |
| May | 1 | 1 | -7 | -4 |
| Jun | -2 | -2 | -10 | -7 |
| Jul | -2 | -2 | -10 | -7 |
| Aug | -1 | 0 | -10 | -6 |
| Sep | 1 | 1 | -8 | -5 |
| Oct | 3 | 3 | -7 | -3 |
| Nov | 4 | 4 | -5 | -2 |
| Dec | 6 | 6 | -4 | -1 |
Average hourly temperature in El Chalten
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on February afternoons, near 8°C, and coldest before dawn in June, near -7°C.
El Chalten weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7° / 1° | 252 | 22.8 | 19.5 | 15.6 | 0.8 |
| Feb | 8° / 1° | 202 | 17.8 | 13.6 | 14.2 | 1.1 |
| Mar | 7° / -1° | 250 | 20.9 | 17.3 | 12.5 | 0.5 |
| Apr | 4° / -3° | 268 | 20.4 | 18.8 | 10.6 | 0.0 |
| May | 1° / -4° | 265 | 20.3 | 20 | 8.9 | 0.0 |
| Jun | -2° / -7° | 221 | 19.7 | 20.6 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | -2° / -7° | 219 | 19.9 | 20.8 | 8.4 | 0.0 |
| Aug | -1° / -6° | 215 | 20.4 | 21.4 | 9.8 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 1° / -5° | 179 | 19.2 | 20.5 | 11.6 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 3° / -4° | 228 | 19.9 | 20.4 | 13.5 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 4° / -2° | 234 | 21 | 21 | 15.1 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 6° / -1° | 262 | 22.8 | 20.7 | 16 | 0.2 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
El Chalten gets about 2795 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is very wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 2.8 months, from around Nov 12 to Feb 3, peaking in December at about 78% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Oct 1.
April is the wettest month by volume, with 268 mm over about 20 wet days; September is the driest, with 179 mm. Some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 72 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 66 | 65 | 64 | 66 | 65 | 64 | 69 | 74 |
| Rain days | 23 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 23 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 72 | 23 |
| Feb | 66 | 18 |
| Mar | 67 | 21 |
| Apr | 68 | 20 |
| May | 66 | 20 |
| Jun | 65 | 20 |
| Jul | 64 | 20 |
| Aug | 66 | 20 |
| Sep | 65 | 19 |
| Oct | 64 | 20 |
| Nov | 69 | 21 |
| Dec | 74 | 23 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, El Chalten collects about 2795 mm of rain across 245 wet days — roughly 233 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. April is the wettest month with 268 mm, while September is the driest at just 179 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 28% of the year’s total, and some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 252 | 202 | 250 | 268 | 265 | 221 | 219 | 215 | 179 | 228 | 234 | 262 |
| Rain days | 23 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 23 |
| Snow days | 20 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | Snow days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 252 | 23 | 20 |
| Feb | 202 | 18 | 14 |
| Mar | 250 | 21 | 17 |
| Apr | 268 | 20 | 19 |
| May | 265 | 20 | 20 |
| Jun | 221 | 20 | 21 |
| Jul | 219 | 20 | 21 |
| Aug | 215 | 20 | 21 |
| Sep | 179 | 19 | 21 |
| Oct | 228 | 20 | 20 |
| Nov | 234 | 21 | 21 |
| Dec | 262 | 23 | 21 |
Snow in El Chalten
Average snowy days through the year, the snow-season span, and estimated snowfall — for ski trips and the perennial 'will there be snow at Christmas?' question.
El Chalten averages about 235 snowy days a year. Snow falls only in scattered spells rather than a settled season.
November is snowiest, with roughly 21 days of snow and an estimated 212 cm of snowfall. Over the year that adds up to an estimated 2258 cm of snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow days | 20 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
| Snowfall (cm) | 119 | 94 | 125 | 201 | 223 | 202 | 204 | 232 | 219 | 242 | 212 | 185 |
| Snow days | Snowfall (cm) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | 119 |
| Feb | 14 | 94 |
| Mar | 17 | 125 |
| Apr | 19 | 201 |
| May | 20 | 223 |
| Jun | 21 | 202 |
| Jul | 21 | 204 |
| Aug | 21 | 232 |
| Sep | 21 | 219 |
| Oct | 20 | 242 |
| Nov | 21 | 212 |
| Dec | 21 | 185 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In El Chalten, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows mild seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around January 17 and lasts for 3.0 months, ending around April 17. The clearest month is October, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 27% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around November 19 and lasts for 1.9 months, ending around January 16. The cloudiest month is June, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 82% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 22 | 27 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 24 | 19 |
| Cloudier (%) | 78 | 73 | 75 | 77 | 79 | 82 | 79 | 78 | 76 | 73 | 76 | 81 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 78 |
| Feb | 27 | 73 |
| Mar | 25 | 75 |
| Apr | 23 | 77 |
| May | 21 | 79 |
| Jun | 18 | 82 |
| Jul | 21 | 79 |
| Aug | 22 | 78 |
| Sep | 24 | 76 |
| Oct | 27 | 73 |
| Nov | 24 | 76 |
| Dec | 19 | 81 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around January 1, brings about 16 hours of light; the shortest, around June 12, only 8 hours — a swing of roughly 8 hours.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 15.6 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.0 | 8.4 | 9.8 | 11.6 | 13.5 | 15.1 | 16.0 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:13 | 7:00 | 7:48 | 8:36 | 9:21 | 9:52 | 9:47 | 9:02 | 7:57 | 6:52 | 6:02 | 5:47 |
| Sunset (PM) | 9:49 | 9:12 | 8:15 | 7:08 | 6:15 | 5:52 | 6:08 | 6:49 | 7:35 | 8:22 | 9:12 | 9:48 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15.6 | 6:13 | 9:49 |
| Feb | 14.2 | 7:00 | 9:12 |
| Mar | 12.5 | 7:48 | 8:15 |
| Apr | 10.6 | 8:36 | 7:08 |
| May | 8.9 | 9:21 | 6:15 |
| Jun | 8.0 | 9:52 | 5:52 |
| Jul | 8.4 | 9:47 | 6:08 |
| Aug | 9.8 | 9:02 | 6:49 |
| Sep | 11.6 | 7:57 | 7:35 |
| Oct | 13.5 | 6:52 | 8:22 |
| Nov | 15.1 | 6:02 | 9:12 |
| Dec | 16.0 | 5:47 | 9:48 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
El Chalten averages about 4 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 2 and 5 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 4.4 months, from around Jul 5 to Nov 15. The sunniest month is October, with roughly 5 sunny days (gloomy).
The greyest month is December, down near 2 sunny days — about 52% fewer than the October peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 4 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 4 | Gloomy |
| Apr | 3 | Gloomy |
| May | 3 | Gloomy |
| Jun | 3 | Gloomy |
| Jul | 4 | Gloomy |
| Aug | 4 | Gloomy |
| Sep | 4 | Gloomy |
| Oct | 5 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 4 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 2 | Gloomy |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In El Chalten, the air stays dry or comfortable essentially all year. Even in January, the muggiest month, it feels humid or worse only about 0% of the time — humidity is not something you need to plan around here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Dry (%) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 100 |
| Feb | 100 |
| Mar | 100 |
| Apr | 100 |
| May | 100 |
| Jun | 100 |
| Jul | 100 |
| Aug | 100 |
| Sep | 100 |
| Oct | 100 |
| Nov | 100 |
| Dec | 100 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Wind in El Chalten is steady company: average speeds sit near 7 km/h — calm — in every month of the year, with no meaningful windy or calm season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | calm |
| Feb | 8 | calm |
| Mar | 8 | calm |
| Apr | 7 | calm |
| May | 7 | calm |
| Jun | 6 | calm |
| Jul | 7 | calm |
| Aug | 7 | calm |
| Sep | 7 | calm |
| Oct | 8 | calm |
| Nov | 8 | calm |
| Dec | 9 | calm |
Best time to visit El Chalten
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in El Chalten throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. El Chalten rarely gets warm enough to lift this score — no time of year really suits general outdoor tourist activities here.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Rating | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.8 | poor |
| Feb | 1.1 | poor |
| Mar | 0.5 | poor |
| Apr | 0.0 | poor |
| May | 0.0 | poor |
| Jun | 0.0 | poor |
| Jul | 0.0 | poor |
| Aug | 0.0 | poor |
| Sep | 0.0 | poor |
| Oct | 0.0 | poor |
| Nov | 0.0 | poor |
| Dec | 0.2 | poor |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. El Chalten rarely gets warm enough to lift this score — no time of year really suits hot-weather activities here.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for El Chalten, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around February (highs near 8°C), the essentials are a warm layer, rain gear and sun protection. In the cold season around June (highs near -2°C), pack a warm layer, a heavy coat and rain gear.
In February, El Chalten sees daytime highs around 8°C and nights near 1°C. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 18 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in El Chalten by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in El Chalten peaks around December 23 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 at about 1 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 12 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 13 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | High | Moderate | Low | Low | Low | Low | Moderate | High | Very high | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12 | Extreme |
| Feb | 11 | Extreme |
| Mar | 6 | High |
| Apr | 3 | Moderate |
| May | 2 | Low |
| Jun | 1 | Low |
| Jul | 1 | Low |
| Aug | 2 | Low |
| Sep | 4 | Moderate |
| Oct | 7 | High |
| Nov | 8 | Very high |
| Dec | 13 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in El Chalten
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in December the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 10 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 7.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 9.5 | 8.5 | 6.5 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 10 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.5 | 5 | 7.5 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9.5 | 7 |
| Feb | 8.5 | 6 |
| Mar | 6.5 | 2 |
| Apr | 2.5 | 0 |
| May | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 4 | 0 |
| Oct | 7 | 2.5 |
| Nov | 8 | 5 |
| Dec | 10 | 7.5 |
Growing season
The growing season in El Chalten typically lasts about 65 days, from around January 4 to March 9 — the span where a frost-free day is more likely than not. It is reliably frost-free from February 15 to February 15.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 58 | 63 | 43 | 19 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 17 | 36 |
| Frost nights | 31 | 28 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 31 |
| Feb | 63 | 28 |
| Mar | 43 | 31 |
| Apr | 19 | 30 |
| May | 9 | 31 |
| Jun | 4 | 30 |
| Jul | 4 | 31 |
| Aug | 4 | 31 |
| Sep | 6 | 30 |
| Oct | 9 | 31 |
| Nov | 17 | 30 |
| Dec | 36 | 31 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. El Chalten banks about 0 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around January.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 0 |
| Feb | 0 |
| Mar | 0 |
| Apr | 0 |
| May | 0 |
| Jun | 0 |
| Jul | 0 |
| Aug | 0 |
| Sep | 0 |
| Oct | 0 |
| Nov | 0 |
| Dec | 0 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
El Chalten receives about 3.9 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — moderate — with a clear seasonal swing between 1.0 and 7.4 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 5.7 months, from around Sep 23 to Mar 14. The brightest month is December, averaging about 7.2 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 1.0 kWh/m² — roughly 86% less than the December peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 6.8 | 5.5 | 3.9 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 3.5 | 5.3 | 6.9 | 7.3 |
| Level | Intense | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Dim | Dim | Dim | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.8 | Intense |
| Feb | 5.5 | Bright |
| Mar | 3.9 | Moderate |
| Apr | 2.4 | Moderate |
| May | 1.3 | Dim |
| Jun | 1.0 | Dim |
| Jul | 1.2 | Dim |
| Aug | 2.1 | Moderate |
| Sep | 3.5 | Moderate |
| Oct | 5.3 | Bright |
| Nov | 6.9 | Intense |
| Dec | 7.3 | Intense |
Where is El Chalten?
El Chalten sits at 49.3°S, 72.9°W, 0 m above sea level, in Argentina. The nearest listed city is El Calafate, 121 km away.
Topography around El Chalten
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of El Chalten.
Within 3 km, the terrain around El Chalten has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 458 m around an average of 530 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,616 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,553 m.
The land around El Chalten is covered by grassland (57%) and trees (23%) within 3 km, bare terrain (37%) and grassland (29%) within 16 km, and snow and ice (32%), grassland (25%) and bare terrain (23%) within 80 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
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 Chalten (-49.3299°, -72.886°, elevation 0 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).