El Chalten weather in December

In December, El Chalten sees average daytime highs of 6°C and overnight lows near -1°C, with 262 mm of precipitation across 22.8 wet days and about 16 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 6°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 15 h 42 min at the start of December to 16 hours by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is El Chalten's 11th-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see El Chalten's year-round climate.

Daytime high
4th warmest
Overnight low
-1°
9th coldest
Precipitation
262 mm
22.8 wet days
Daylight
16 hours
5:47 AM – 9:48 PM
Cloud cover
78%
11th clearest
Wind
9 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
7.27 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.2
out of 10

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 6°C through the month.

A typical December day in El Chalten reaches about 6°C in the afternoon and slips back to -1°C overnight — a 6°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, December runs about 2°C warmer than November and about 2°C cooler than January.

-5°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
15-1
25-1
35-1
45-1
55-1
65-1
75-1
85-1
95-1
105-1
115-1
125-1
135-1
145-1
155-1
165-1
175-1
186-1
196-1
206-1
216-1
226-1
2360
2460
2560
2660
2760
2860
2960
3060
3160

How December really feels in El Chalten

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

El Chalten weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 4th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 25222.819.515.60.8
Feb / 20217.813.614.21.1
Mar / -1°25020.917.312.50.5
Apr / -3°26820.418.810.60.0
May / -4°26520.3208.90.0
Jun-2° / -7°22119.720.680.0
Jul-2° / -7°21919.920.88.40.0
Aug-1° / -6°21520.421.49.80.0
Sep / -5°17919.220.511.60.0
Oct / -4°22819.920.413.50.0
Nov / -2°234212115.10.0
Dec / -1°26222.820.7160.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 8% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 81%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12278
22377
32377
42377
52377
62377
72377
82377
92377
102278
112179
122179
132080
141981
151981
161882
171882
181882
191684
201684
211684
221684
231684
241684
251585
261684
271684
281783
291783
301783
311882

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

El Chalten gets around 262 mm of rain and snow over 22.8 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 74% and peaks near 79% on the wettest days, and about 21 days bring snow. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
17168
27067
36966
46965
56864
66863
76863
86863
96963
106964
117065
127166
137267
147368
157569
167670
177671
187772
197873
207973
217973
227973
237972
247972
257971
267971
277970
287869
297868
307868
317767

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, December 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 December

Winds average 9 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 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
19calm
29calm
39calm
49calm
59calm
69calm
79calm
89calm
99calm
109calm
119calm
129calm
139calm
149calm
159calm
169calm
179calm
189calm
199calm
209calm
219calm
229calm
239calm
249calm
259calm
269calm
279calm
289calm
299calm
309calm
319calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 15 h 42 min at the start of December to 16 hours by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 18 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 5:50 AM to 5:55 AM, and sunset from 9:33 PM to 9:54 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
115.75:509:33
215.85:499:34
315.85:499:35
415.85:489:37
515.85:489:38
615.95:489:39
715.95:479:40
815.95:479:41
915.95:479:42
1015.95:479:43
1116.05:479:44
1216.05:479:45
1316.05:479:46
1416.05:479:47
1516.05:479:47
1616.05:479:48
1716.05:489:49
1816.05:489:49
1916.05:489:50
2016.05:489:51
2116.05:499:51
2216.05:499:52
2316.05:509:52
2416.05:509:53
2516.05:519:53
2616.05:529:53
2716.05:529:54
2816.05:539:54
2916.05:549:54
3016.05:549:54
3116.05:559:54

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 7.27 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.97 kWh/m² to a high of 7.27 kWh/m² in December across the year — December's 7.27 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

02468151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
17.4Intense
27.4Intense
37.4Intense
47.4Intense
57.4Intense
67.4Intense
77.4Intense
87.4Intense
97.4Intense
107.4Intense
117.4Intense
127.3Intense
137.3Intense
147.3Intense
157.3Intense
167.3Intense
177.2Intense
187.2Intense
197.2Intense
207.2Intense
217.2Intense
227.2Intense
237.1Intense
247.1Intense
257.1Intense
267.1Intense
277.1Intense
287.1Intense
297.1Intense
307.1Intense
317.1Intense
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit El Chalten?

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

0.2
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in El Chalten.

What to pack for El Chalten in December

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

In December, El Chalten sees daytime highs around 6°C and nights near -1°C. Pack a warm layer, rain gear and sun protection. Worth having: a heavy coat. About 23 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gearsun protectiona heavy coat

UV index in El Chalten in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeModerateLowModerateHighVery highExtremeDec 23UV 12Jun 19UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan12Extreme
Feb11Extreme
Mar6High
Apr3Moderate
May2Low
Jun1Low
Jul1Low
Aug2Low
Sep4Moderate
Oct7High
Nov8Very high
Dec13Extreme
Location & terrain

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.

Puerto NatalesRío GallegosCoyhaiqueLas HerasPuerto AysénPunta ArenasPico Truncado

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.

3 km
458 m
16 km
2,616 m
80 km
3,553 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewatermoss and lichen
December weather nearby: El Calafate 121 km · Puerto Natales 268 km · Río Gallegos 362 km · Coyhaique 422 km · Las Heras 428 km · Puerto Aysén 437 km · Punta Arenas 448 km · Pico Truncado 462 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 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).