Climate and average weather in La Rioja
In La Rioja, the summers are hot, showery, and partly cloudy and the winters are mild and mostly clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in La Rioja typically varies from 6°C to 32°C, and is rarely below 1°C or above 38°C. January is the hottest month of the year, while June is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit La Rioja for warm-weather activities are from late March to late May and mid July to mid October.
- Hottest
- Jan
- 32°
- Coldest
- Jun
- 7°
- Wettest
- Jan
- 102 mm
- Driest
- Jul
- 10 mm
- Rain / yr
- 584 mm
- 78 wet days
- Daylight
- 10.1–13.9 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 493 m
- 29.4°S
- Clearest
- Aug
- 25% cloud
La Rioja is city in Capital Department, La Rioja Province, Argentina.
- Density
- 13,116/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1591
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
La Rioja 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; the score climbs highest around mid July to mid October.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in La Rioja, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 4.5 months, from October 28 to March 12, with daily high temperatures above 29°C. The hottest month of the year in La Rioja is January, with an average high of 32°C and low of 22°C.
The cool season lasts 2.8 months, from May 17 to August 9, with daily high temperatures below 20°C. The coldest month of the year in La Rioja is June, with an average low of 7°C and high of 17°C.
Days typically run about 11°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 12°C) in August.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 32 | 31 | 28 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 32 |
| Avg low (°C) | 22 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 21 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 22 |
| Feb | 31 | 21 |
| Mar | 28 | 19 |
| Apr | 24 | 15 |
| May | 20 | 11 |
| Jun | 17 | 7 |
| Jul | 17 | 6 |
| Aug | 21 | 8 |
| Sep | 24 | 12 |
| Oct | 28 | 16 |
| Nov | 30 | 19 |
| Dec | 32 | 21 |
How hot and cold La Rioja 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 hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, La Rioja feels like about 33°C (around January 1). About 47 days a year carry some heat stress, peaking in January.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 32 | 31 | 28 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 32 |
| Air high (°C) | 32 | 31 | 28 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 32 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 22 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 21 |
| Air low (°C) | 22 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 21 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 32 | 22 | 22 |
| Feb | 31 | 31 | 21 | 21 |
| Mar | 28 | 28 | 19 | 19 |
| Apr | 24 | 24 | 15 | 15 |
| May | 20 | 20 | 10 | 11 |
| Jun | 17 | 17 | 6 | 7 |
| Jul | 17 | 17 | 4 | 6 |
| Aug | 21 | 21 | 7 | 8 |
| Sep | 24 | 24 | 12 | 12 |
| Oct | 28 | 28 | 16 | 16 |
| Nov | 30 | 30 | 19 | 19 |
| Dec | 32 | 32 | 21 | 21 |
Average hourly temperature in La Rioja
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 January afternoons, near 32°C, and coldest before dawn in June, near 7°C.
La Rioja weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32° / 22° | 102 | 11.2 | 13.7 | 3.9 |
| Feb | 31° / 21° | 76 | 9.6 | 13.1 | 4.8 |
| Mar | 28° / 19° | 78 | 9.8 | 12.2 | 6.1 |
| Apr | 24° / 15° | 47 | 7.9 | 11.3 | 7.4 |
| May | 20° / 11° | 29 | 5.5 | 10.5 | 7.1 |
| Jun | 17° / 7° | 15 | 3.4 | 10.2 | 6.5 |
| Jul | 17° / 6° | 10 | 2.2 | 10.3 | 7.0 |
| Aug | 21° / 8° | 10 | 2.1 | 10.9 | 8.3 |
| Sep | 24° / 12° | 24 | 3.4 | 11.8 | 8.5 |
| Oct | 28° / 16° | 48 | 6 | 12.7 | 7.1 |
| Nov | 30° / 19° | 61 | 7.7 | 13.5 | 5.3 |
| Dec | 32° / 21° | 85 | 9.3 | 13.8 | 4.2 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
La Rioja gets about 584 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is some rain, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 6.4 months, from around Oct 20 to May 3, peaking in January at about 37% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Aug 2.
January is the wettest month by volume, with 102 mm over about 11 wet days; July is the driest, with 10 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 36 | 34 | 32 | 26 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 11 | 19 | 26 | 30 |
| Rain days | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 11 |
| Feb | 34 | 10 |
| Mar | 32 | 10 |
| Apr | 26 | 8 |
| May | 18 | 6 |
| Jun | 11 | 3 |
| Jul | 7 | 2 |
| Aug | 7 | 2 |
| Sep | 11 | 3 |
| Oct | 19 | 6 |
| Nov | 26 | 8 |
| Dec | 30 | 9 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, La Rioja collects about 584 mm of rain across 78 wet days — roughly 49 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. January is the wettest month with 102 mm, while July is the driest at just 10 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 45% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 102 | 76 | 78 | 47 | 29 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 24 | 48 | 61 | 85 |
| Rain days | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 102 | 11 |
| Feb | 76 | 10 |
| Mar | 78 | 10 |
| Apr | 47 | 8 |
| May | 29 | 6 |
| Jun | 15 | 3 |
| Jul | 10 | 2 |
| Aug | 10 | 2 |
| Sep | 24 | 3 |
| Oct | 48 | 6 |
| Nov | 61 | 8 |
| Dec | 85 | 9 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In La Rioja, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around June 24 and lasts for 6.0 months, ending around December 23. The clearest month is August, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 84% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around December 24 and lasts for 6.0 months, ending around June 23. The cloudiest month is May, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 43% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 63 | 62 | 59 | 60 | 57 | 66 | 81 | 84 | 80 | 74 | 71 | 69 |
| Cloudier (%) | 37 | 38 | 41 | 40 | 43 | 34 | 19 | 16 | 20 | 26 | 29 | 31 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 37 |
| Feb | 62 | 38 |
| Mar | 59 | 41 |
| Apr | 60 | 40 |
| May | 57 | 43 |
| Jun | 66 | 34 |
| Jul | 81 | 19 |
| Aug | 84 | 16 |
| Sep | 80 | 20 |
| Oct | 74 | 26 |
| Nov | 71 | 29 |
| Dec | 69 | 31 |
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 13 h 54 min of light; the shortest, around June 12, only 10 h 06 min — a swing of roughly 3 h 48 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.7 | 13.1 | 12.2 | 11.3 | 10.5 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 10.9 | 11.8 | 12.7 | 13.5 | 13.8 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:46 | 7:10 | 7:30 | 7:49 | 8:08 | 8:24 | 8:24 | 8:04 | 7:27 | 6:51 | 6:28 | 6:27 |
| Sunset (PM) | 8:28 | 8:14 | 7:44 | 7:06 | 6:40 | 6:31 | 6:42 | 7:00 | 7:17 | 7:34 | 7:58 | 8:20 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13.7 | 6:46 | 8:28 |
| Feb | 13.1 | 7:10 | 8:14 |
| Mar | 12.2 | 7:30 | 7:44 |
| Apr | 11.3 | 7:49 | 7:06 |
| May | 10.5 | 8:08 | 6:40 |
| Jun | 10.2 | 8:24 | 6:31 |
| Jul | 10.3 | 8:24 | 6:42 |
| Aug | 10.9 | 8:04 | 7:00 |
| Sep | 11.8 | 7:27 | 7:17 |
| Oct | 12.7 | 6:51 | 7:34 |
| Nov | 13.5 | 6:28 | 7:58 |
| Dec | 13.8 | 6:27 | 8:20 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
La Rioja averages about 16 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 12 and 23 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.0 months, from around Jun 22 to Nov 20. The sunniest month is August, with roughly 22 sunny days (bright).
The greyest month is January, down near 13 sunny days — about 43% fewer than the August peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 15 |
| Sky | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | Mixed |
| Feb | 12 | Mixed |
| Mar | 13 | Mixed |
| Apr | 14 | Mixed |
| May | 14 | Mixed |
| Jun | 16 | Bright |
| Jul | 21 | Bright |
| Aug | 23 | Bright |
| Sep | 21 | Bright |
| Oct | 19 | Bright |
| Nov | 17 | Bright |
| Dec | 15 | Bright |
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 La Rioja, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 4.7 months, from around November 19 to April 11. The muggiest month is January, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 71% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around April 12 to November 18, and June is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 100% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 8 | 12 | 14 | 45 | 83 | 98 | 100 | 100 | 96 | 78 | 46 | 23 |
| Comfortable (%) | 21 | 20 | 28 | 33 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 30 | 24 |
| Humid (%) | 31 | 32 | 36 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 20 | 31 |
| Muggy (%) | 33 | 30 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 19 |
| Oppressive (%) | 7 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | 21 | 31 | 33 | 7 |
| Feb | 12 | 20 | 32 | 30 | 6 |
| Mar | 14 | 28 | 36 | 21 | 2 |
| Apr | 45 | 33 | 18 | 5 | 0 |
| May | 83 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 98 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 96 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 78 | 16 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 46 | 30 | 20 | 4 | 0 |
| Dec | 23 | 24 | 31 | 19 | 3 |
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 La Rioja is steady company: average speeds sit near 8 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) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | calm |
| Feb | 7 | calm |
| Mar | 7 | calm |
| Apr | 7 | calm |
| May | 7 | calm |
| Jun | 7 | calm |
| Jul | 7 | calm |
| Aug | 8 | calm |
| Sep | 9 | calm |
| Oct | 9 | calm |
| Nov | 8 | calm |
| Dec | 8 | calm |
Hazard calendar for La Rioja
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
La Rioja's rainy season runs October–April, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit La Rioja
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in La Rioja throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late July, La Rioja is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit La Rioja for general outdoor tourist activities run from late March to late May and again from mid July to mid October, with a peak score in the second week of September.
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) | 4.0 | 4.8 | 6.1 | 7.4 | 7.1 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 8.2 | 8.5 | 7.1 | 5.4 | 4.2 |
| Rating | fair | fair | good | good | good | good | good | ideal | ideal | good | fair | fair |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.0 | fair |
| Feb | 4.8 | fair |
| Mar | 6.1 | good |
| Apr | 7.4 | good |
| May | 7.1 | good |
| Jun | 6.5 | good |
| Jul | 7.0 | good |
| Aug | 8.2 | ideal |
| Sep | 8.5 | ideal |
| Oct | 7.1 | good |
| Nov | 5.4 | fair |
| Dec | 4.2 | fair |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit La Rioja for hot-weather activities is from late August to late April, with a peak score in the second week of October.
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 La Rioja, 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 January (highs near 32°C), the essentials are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. In the cold season around June (highs near 17°C), pack a warm layer.
In January, La Rioja sees daytime highs around 32°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection. Worth having: rain gear. About 11 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in La Rioja 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 La Rioja peaks around January 20 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 22 at about 4 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 14 | 14 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 13 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14 | Extreme |
| Feb | 14 | Extreme |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 7 | High |
| May | 5 | Moderate |
| Jun | 4 | Moderate |
| Jul | 4 | Moderate |
| Aug | 5 | Moderate |
| Sep | 7 | Very high |
| Oct | 11 | Extreme |
| Nov | 13 | Extreme |
| Dec | 13 | Extreme |
Average hourly UV index in La Rioja
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 January the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 9 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 7 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 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 6 | 4.5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6.5 | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 7 | 7 | 5.5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | 7 |
| Feb | 8.5 | 7 |
| Mar | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Apr | 6 | 3 |
| May | 4.5 | 0 |
| Jun | 3 | 0 |
| Jul | 3 | 0 |
| Aug | 5 | 0 |
| Sep | 6.5 | 3.5 |
| Oct | 8 | 6 |
| Nov | 9 | 6.5 |
| Dec | 9 | 7 |
Growing season
La Rioja is mild enough that a frost-free day stays more likely than not even in midwinter.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 98 | 95 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 98 | 0 |
| Jul | 95 | 0 |
| Aug | 99 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
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. La Rioja banks about 3,626 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) | 522 | 438 | 419 | 289 | 165 | 57 | 39 | 138 | 247 | 368 | 433 | 511 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 522 |
| Feb | 438 |
| Mar | 419 |
| Apr | 289 |
| May | 165 |
| Jun | 57 |
| Jul | 39 |
| Aug | 138 |
| Sep | 247 |
| Oct | 368 |
| Nov | 433 |
| Dec | 511 |
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.
La Rioja receives about 4.9 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.0 and 6.8 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.2 months, from around Sep 1 to Mar 9. The brightest month is December, averaging about 6.7 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 3.0 kWh/m² — roughly 55% less than the December peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 6.3 | 5.7 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 6.7 |
| Level | Intense | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.3 | Intense |
| Feb | 5.7 | Bright |
| Mar | 4.7 | Bright |
| Apr | 3.9 | Moderate |
| May | 3.1 | Moderate |
| Jun | 3.0 | Moderate |
| Jul | 3.5 | Moderate |
| Aug | 4.5 | Bright |
| Sep | 5.4 | Bright |
| Oct | 6.0 | Intense |
| Nov | 6.5 | Intense |
| Dec | 6.7 | Intense |
Where is La Rioja?
La Rioja sits at 29.4°S, 66.9°W, 493 m above sea level, in Argentina. The nearest listed city is Chilecito, 68 km away.
Topography around La Rioja
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of La Rioja.
Within 3 km, the terrain around La Rioja has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 141 m around an average of 516 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,895 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,858 m.
The land around La Rioja is covered by artificial surfaces (70%) within 3 km, shrubs (58%) and trees (24%) within 16 km, and shrubs (76%) 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 La Rioja (-29.4133°, -66.8564°, elevation 493 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).