Climate and average weather in Río Gallegos
In Río Gallegos, the summers are mild, showery, and partly cloudy and the winters are cold, snowy, and partly cloudy.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Río Gallegos typically varies from -1°C to 18°C, and is rarely below -5°C or above 24°C. January is the hottest month of the year, while June is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Río Gallegos for warm-weather activities is from mid November to mid March.
- Hottest
- Jan
- 18°
- Coldest
- Jun
- -1°
- Wettest
- Dec
- 48 mm
- Driest
- Jul
- 21 mm
- Rain / yr
- 353 mm
- 92 wet days
- Daylight
- 7.6–16.4 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 1 m
- 51.6°S
- Clearest
- Jun
- 57% cloud
Río Gallegos is capital and largest settlement of the Patagonian province of Santa Cruz in Argentina.
- Founded
- 1885
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Río Gallegos 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 November to mid March.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Río Gallegos, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 4.7 months, from November 1 to March 23, with daily high temperatures above 15°C. The hottest month of the year in Río Gallegos is January, with an average high of 18°C and low of 8°C.
The cool season lasts 2.7 months, from May 24 to August 14, with daily high temperatures below 7°C. The coldest month of the year in Río Gallegos is June, with an average low of -1°C and high of 5°C.
Days typically run about 8°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 10°C) in November.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 18 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 17 |
| Avg low (°C) | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 1 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18 | 8 |
| Feb | 18 | 8 |
| Mar | 16 | 7 |
| Apr | 12 | 4 |
| May | 8 | 1 |
| Jun | 5 | -1 |
| Jul | 5 | -1 |
| Aug | 8 | 0 |
| Sep | 11 | 2 |
| Oct | 14 | 4 |
| Nov | 16 | 6 |
| Dec | 17 | 7 |
How hot and cold Río Gallegos 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 -6°C (around July 5), with roughly 198 freezing days a year (feels-like at or below 0°C), worst in July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 18 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 17 |
| Air high (°C) | 18 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 17 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 5 | 5 | 3 | 0 | -3 | -6 | -6 | -5 | -3 | -1 | 2 | 4 |
| Air low (°C) | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 1 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18 | 18 | 5 | 8 |
| Feb | 18 | 18 | 5 | 8 |
| Mar | 16 | 16 | 3 | 7 |
| Apr | 12 | 12 | 0 | 4 |
| May | 8 | 8 | -3 | 1 |
| Jun | 5 | 5 | -6 | -1 |
| Jul | 5 | 5 | -6 | -1 |
| Aug | 8 | 8 | -5 | 0 |
| Sep | 11 | 11 | -3 | 2 |
| Oct | 14 | 14 | -1 | 4 |
| Nov | 16 | 16 | 2 | 6 |
| Dec | 17 | 17 | 4 | 7 |
Average hourly temperature in Río Gallegos
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 18°C, and coldest before dawn in June, near -1°C.
Río Gallegos 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 | 18° / 8° | 42 | 10.9 | 0 | 15.9 | 5.6 |
| Feb | 18° / 8° | 34 | 8.2 | 0 | 14.4 | 5.9 |
| Mar | 16° / 7° | 37 | 9 | 0 | 12.5 | 4.9 |
| Apr | 12° / 4° | 30 | 7.4 | 0 | 10.4 | 3.5 |
| May | 8° / 1° | 26 | 5.9 | 0.4 | 8.7 | 1.7 |
| Jun | 5° / -1° | 22 | 5.8 | 1.5 | 7.7 | 0.1 |
| Jul | 5° / -1° | 21 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 8.1 | 0.2 |
| Aug | 8° / 0° | 21 | 5.3 | 1.1 | 9.6 | 1.3 |
| Sep | 11° / 2° | 21 | 6.1 | 0.6 | 11.6 | 2.7 |
| Oct | 14° / 4° | 22 | 6.6 | 0.2 | 13.6 | 4.1 |
| Nov | 16° / 6° | 31 | 9.2 | 0 | 15.4 | 4.8 |
| Dec | 17° / 7° | 48 | 12.2 | 0 | 16.3 | 5.0 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Río Gallegos gets about 353 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 5.4 months, from around Nov 1 to Apr 14, peaking in January at about 41% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Aug 23.
December is the wettest month by volume, with 48 mm over about 12 wet days; July is the driest, with 21 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 (%) | 35 | 29 | 30 | 24 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 30 | 40 |
| Rain days | 11 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 11 |
| Feb | 29 | 8 |
| Mar | 30 | 9 |
| Apr | 24 | 7 |
| May | 20 | 6 |
| Jun | 18 | 6 |
| Jul | 18 | 6 |
| Aug | 18 | 5 |
| Sep | 20 | 6 |
| Oct | 22 | 7 |
| Nov | 30 | 9 |
| Dec | 40 | 12 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Río Gallegos collects about 353 mm of rain across 92 wet days — roughly 29 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. December is the wettest month with 48 mm, while July is the driest at just 21 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 36% 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) | 42 | 34 | 37 | 30 | 26 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 31 | 48 |
| Rain days | 11 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 12 |
| Snow days | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | Snow days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 11 | 0 |
| Feb | 34 | 8 | 0 |
| Mar | 37 | 9 | 0 |
| Apr | 30 | 7 | 0 |
| May | 26 | 6 | 0 |
| Jun | 22 | 6 | 2 |
| Jul | 21 | 6 | 2 |
| Aug | 21 | 5 | 1 |
| Sep | 21 | 6 | 1 |
| Oct | 22 | 7 | 0 |
| Nov | 31 | 9 | 0 |
| Dec | 48 | 12 | 0 |
Snow in Río Gallegos
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.
Río Gallegos averages about 5 snowy days a year. Snow season runs roughly May 27 to Sep 24 — about 4 months.
June is snowiest, with roughly 1.4 day of snow and an estimated 5 cm of snowfall. Over the year that adds up to an estimated 19 cm of snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow days | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Snowfall (cm) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Snow days | Snowfall (cm) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 0 | 0 |
| May | 0 | 1 |
| Jun | 2 | 5 |
| Jul | 2 | 5 |
| Aug | 1 | 5 |
| Sep | 1 | 2 |
| Oct | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 0 | 0 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Río Gallegos, 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 March 31 and lasts for 5.9 months, ending around September 26. The clearest month is July, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 50% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around September 27 and lasts for 5.4 months, ending around March 8. The cloudiest month is December, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 73% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 31 | 38 | 41 | 45 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 48 | 42 | 36 | 29 | 27 |
| Cloudier (%) | 69 | 62 | 59 | 55 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 52 | 58 | 64 | 71 | 73 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 69 |
| Feb | 38 | 62 |
| Mar | 41 | 59 |
| Apr | 45 | 55 |
| May | 50 | 50 |
| Jun | 50 | 50 |
| Jul | 50 | 50 |
| Aug | 48 | 52 |
| Sep | 42 | 58 |
| Oct | 36 | 64 |
| Nov | 29 | 71 |
| Dec | 27 | 73 |
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 December 13, brings about 16 h 24 min of light; the shortest, around June 13, only 7 h 36 min — a swing of roughly 8 h 48 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 15.9 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.4 | 8.7 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 9.6 | 11.6 | 13.6 | 15.4 | 16.3 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:48 | 6:40 | 7:32 | 8:25 | 9:15 | 9:49 | 9:42 | 8:54 | 7:43 | 6:33 | 5:39 | 5:21 |
| Sunset (PM) | 9:44 | 9:03 | 8:01 | 6:49 | 5:52 | 5:26 | 5:43 | 6:28 | 7:20 | 8:11 | 9:06 | 9:45 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15.9 | 5:48 | 9:44 |
| Feb | 14.4 | 6:40 | 9:03 |
| Mar | 12.5 | 7:32 | 8:01 |
| Apr | 10.4 | 8:25 | 6:49 |
| May | 8.7 | 9:15 | 5:52 |
| Jun | 7.7 | 9:49 | 5:26 |
| Jul | 8.1 | 9:42 | 5:43 |
| Aug | 9.6 | 8:54 | 6:28 |
| Sep | 11.6 | 7:43 | 7:20 |
| Oct | 13.6 | 6:33 | 8:11 |
| Nov | 15.4 | 5:39 | 9:06 |
| Dec | 16.3 | 5:21 | 9:45 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Río Gallegos averages about 7 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 2 and 11 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.3 months, from around Apr 13 to Sep 19. The sunniest month is June, with roughly 10 sunny days (mixed).
The greyest month is December, down near 2 sunny days — about 80% fewer than the June peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 5 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 6 | Gloomy |
| Apr | 7 | Gloomy |
| May | 10 | Mixed |
| Jun | 10 | Mixed |
| Jul | 10 | Mixed |
| Aug | 10 | Mixed |
| Sep | 7 | Gloomy |
| Oct | 5 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 3 | 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 Río Gallegos, 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.
Across the year, average wind speed in Río Gallegos is typically breezy, near 22 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 5.5 months, from around Oct 5 to Mar 21. The windiest month is December, averaging about 25 km/h (breezy).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Mar 22 to Oct 4, with June the calmest month at about 19 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 24 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 25 |
| Feels | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy | breezy |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | breezy |
| Feb | 23 | breezy |
| Mar | 22 | breezy |
| Apr | 21 | breezy |
| May | 19 | light breeze |
| Jun | 19 | light breeze |
| Jul | 19 | light breeze |
| Aug | 20 | breezy |
| Sep | 21 | breezy |
| Oct | 23 | breezy |
| Nov | 25 | breezy |
| Dec | 25 | breezy |
Best time to visit Río Gallegos
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Río Gallegos throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late November, Río Gallegos 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 time of year to visit Río Gallegos for general outdoor tourist activities is from mid November to mid March, with a peak score in the first week of February.
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) | 5.6 | 5.9 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 5.0 |
| Rating | good | good | fair | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | fair | fair | fair |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.6 | good |
| Feb | 5.9 | good |
| Mar | 4.9 | fair |
| Apr | 3.5 | poor |
| May | 1.7 | poor |
| Jun | 0.2 | poor |
| Jul | 0.2 | poor |
| Aug | 1.3 | poor |
| Sep | 2.7 | poor |
| Oct | 4.1 | fair |
| Nov | 4.8 | fair |
| Dec | 5.0 | 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 Río Gallegos for hot-weather activities is from mid January to late February, with a peak score in the last week of January.
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 Río Gallegos, 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 18°C), the essentials are rain gear, sun protection and a windbreaker. In the cold season around June (highs near 5°C), pack a warm layer and a heavy coat.
In January, Río Gallegos sees daytime highs around 18°C and nights near 8°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: rain gear and a windbreaker. About 11 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Río Gallegos
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 26 km away) is warmest in February at about 11°C and coldest in August near 4°C.
The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 9 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Bracing |
| Feb | 11 | Bracing |
| Mar | 11 | Bracing |
| Apr | 9 | Bracing |
| May | 8 | Bracing |
| Jun | 6 | Bracing |
| Jul | 5 | Bracing |
| Aug | 4 | Bracing |
| Sep | 4 | Bracing |
| Oct | 6 | Bracing |
| Nov | 8 | Bracing |
| Dec | 9 | Bracing |
UV index (midday) in Río Gallegos 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 Río Gallegos peaks around December 22 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 20 at about 1 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 6 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 9 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 9 |
| Level | Very high | Very high | Moderate | Moderate | Low | Low | Low | Low | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | Very high |
| Feb | 8 | Very high |
| Mar | 4 | Moderate |
| Apr | 2 | Moderate |
| May | 1 | Low |
| Jun | 1 | Low |
| Jul | 1 | Low |
| Aug | 1 | Low |
| Sep | 2 | Moderate |
| Oct | 5 | Moderate |
| Nov | 6 | High |
| Dec | 9 | Very high |
Average hourly UV index in Río Gallegos
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 9 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6 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 | 7.5 | 4.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 9 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 5.5 | 4.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | 5.5 |
| Feb | 7.5 | 4.5 |
| Mar | 4.5 | 0 |
| Apr | 0 | 0 |
| May | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 5 | 0 |
| Nov | 7 | 2 |
| Dec | 9 | 6 |
Growing season
The growing season in Río Gallegos typically lasts about 296 days, from around August 10 to June 1 — the span where a frost-free day is more likely than not. It is reliably frost-free from October 6 to April 21.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 99 | 92 | 68 | 40 | 39 | 55 | 77 | 93 | 99 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 99 | 0 |
| Apr | 92 | 9 |
| May | 68 | 31 |
| Jun | 40 | 30 |
| Jul | 39 | 31 |
| Aug | 55 | 31 |
| Sep | 77 | 30 |
| Oct | 93 | 8 |
| Nov | 99 | 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. Río Gallegos banks about 307 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) | 97 | 83 | 37 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 68 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 97 |
| Feb | 83 |
| Mar | 37 |
| Apr | 0 |
| May | 0 |
| Jun | 0 |
| Jul | 0 |
| Aug | 0 |
| Sep | 0 |
| Oct | 0 |
| Nov | 23 |
| Dec | 68 |
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.
Río Gallegos receives about 3.5 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — moderate — with a clear seasonal swing between 0.8 and 6.5 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 5.7 months, from around Sep 23 to Mar 15. The brightest month is December, averaging about 6.5 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is June, down near 0.8 kWh/m² — roughly 87% less than the December peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 6.1 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 4.8 | 6.1 | 6.5 |
| Level | Intense | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Dim | Dim | Dim | Dim | Moderate | Bright | Intense | Intense |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.1 | Intense |
| Feb | 5.0 | Bright |
| Mar | 3.5 | Moderate |
| Apr | 2.2 | Moderate |
| May | 1.2 | Dim |
| Jun | 0.8 | Dim |
| Jul | 1.0 | Dim |
| Aug | 1.8 | Dim |
| Sep | 3.1 | Moderate |
| Oct | 4.8 | Bright |
| Nov | 6.1 | Intense |
| Dec | 6.5 | Intense |
Where is Río Gallegos?
Río Gallegos sits at 51.6°S, 69.3°W, 1 m above sea level, in Argentina. The nearest listed city is Punta Arenas, 205 km away.
Topography around Río Gallegos
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Río Gallegos.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Río Gallegos has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 18 m around an average of 11 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 162 m; within 80 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 312 m.
The land around Río Gallegos is covered by artificial surfaces (46%) and grassland (32%) within 3 km, grassland (74%) within 16 km, and grassland (70%) and water (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 Río Gallegos (-51.6253°, -69.2523°, elevation 1 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).