Ushuaia weather in May

In May, Ushuaia sees average daytime highs of 3°C and overnight lows near -2°C, with 57 mm of precipitation across 12.5 wet days and about 8.2 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 4°C in the first days to 1°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 06 min at the start of May to 7 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Ushuaia's 8th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Ushuaia's year-round climate.

Daytime high
9th warmest
Overnight low
-2°
5th coldest
Precipitation
57 mm
12.5 wet days
Daylight
8 h 12 min
9:24 AM – 5:35 PM
Cloud cover
79%
8th clearest
Wind
8 km/h
12th windiest
Solar energy
0.83 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Ushuaia is capital of Tierra del Fuego in Argentina.

Density
2,471/km²
people per km²
Founded
1884

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 4°C in the first days to 1°C by the end.

A typical May day in Ushuaia reaches about 3°C in the afternoon and slips back to -2°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -0°C and 6°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 3°C cooler than April and about 3°C warmer than June.

-10°-5°10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
15-1
24-1
34-1
44-1
54-1
64-1
74-1
84-1
94-1
104-1
114-1
124-1
134-2
143-2
153-2
163-2
173-2
183-2
193-2
203-2
212-3
222-3
232-3
242-3
252-3
262-3
272-3
282-3
292-3
301-3
311-4

How May really feels in Ushuaia

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

Ushuaia weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 9th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan11° / 10022.4116.41.9
Feb11° / 7617.61.314.72.0
Mar / 7916.8312.61.5
Apr / 6615.26.910.30.5
May / -2°5712.58.78.20.0
Jun / -4°5012.1127.10.0
Jul / -5°4912.212.47.50.0
Aug / -4°501212.39.30.0
Sep / -3°4812.510.711.50.0
Oct / -1°5614.78.313.80.5
Nov / 7618.75.615.91.3
Dec10° / 9921.82.916.91.6

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 82%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11981
21981
31981
41981
51981
61882
71981
81981
91981
101981
111981
121981
131882
141783
151783
161783
171783
181783
191783
201783
211783
221783
231783
241684
251585
261585
271585
281486
291486
301486
311486

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitationSnow

Ushuaia gets around 57 mm of rain and snow over 12.5 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 41% and peaks near 44% on the wettest days, and about 9 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
14426
24426
34425
44325
54325
64225
74224
84124
94124
104124
114124
124124
134125
144125
154126
164127
174128
184128
194129
204130
214130
224031
234032
244032
254033
264034
274034
283934
293935
303935
313935

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, May 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 May

Winds average 8 km/h in May, the calmest month.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 06 min at the start of May to 7 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 102 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 8:57 AM to 9:48 AM, and sunset from 6:04 PM to 5:13 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.18:576:04
29.18:586:02
39.09:006:00
48.99:025:58
58.99:045:56
68.89:065:54
78.79:085:52
88.79:105:50
98.69:125:48
108.59:145:46
118.59:155:44
128.49:175:42
138.39:195:40
148.39:215:38
158.29:235:36
168.29:245:35
178.19:265:33
188.19:285:31
198.09:305:30
207.99:315:28
217.99:335:26
227.89:355:25
237.89:365:23
247.79:385:22
257.79:395:21
267.69:415:19
277.69:425:18
287.59:445:17
297.59:455:15
307.59:475:14
317.49:485:13

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 0.83 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.52 kWh/m² to a high of 5.87 kWh/m² in December across the year — May's 0.83 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

00.511.52151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.2Dim
21.1Dim
31.1Dim
41.1Dim
51.1Dim
61.0Dim
71.0Dim
81.0Dim
90.9Dim
100.9Dim
110.9Dim
120.9Dim
130.9Dim
140.8Dim
150.8Dim
160.8Dim
170.8Dim
180.8Dim
190.8Dim
200.8Dim
210.7Dim
220.7Dim
230.7Dim
240.7Dim
250.7Dim
260.7Dim
270.7Dim
280.7Dim
290.6Dim
300.6Dim
310.6Dim
Planning a trip in May

Is May a good time to visit Ushuaia?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
8th-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

May is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Ushuaia.

What to pack for Ushuaia in May

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

In May, Ushuaia sees daytime highs around 3°C and nights near -2°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. Worth having: rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coatrain gear

Sea temperature near Ushuaia in May

The nearest coast averages about 8°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 64 km away) is warmest in February at about 9°C and coldest in August near 6°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

4°6°8°10°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan9Bracing
Feb9Bracing
Mar9Bracing
Apr8Bracing
May8Bracing
Jun7Bracing
Jul6Bracing
Aug6Bracing
Sep6Bracing
Oct6Bracing
Nov7Bracing
Dec8Bracing

UV index in Ushuaia in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Ushuaia peaks around January 14 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 19 at about 0 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 6 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highModerateLowModerateHighJan 14UV 9Jun 19UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan9Very high
Feb7High
Mar3Moderate
Apr2Low
May1Low
Jun0Low
Jul1Low
Aug1Low
Sep2Moderate
Oct4Moderate
Nov6High
Dec8Very high
Location & terrain

Where is Ushuaia?

Ushuaia sits at 54.8°S, 68.3°W, 6 m above sea level, in Argentina. The nearest listed city is Río Grande, 120 km away.

Punta ArenasRío GallegosPuerto NatalesEl CalafateEl ChaltenStanleyPuerto Deseado

Topography around Ushuaia

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Ushuaia.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Ushuaia has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 422 m around an average of 92 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,443 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,279 m.

The land around Ushuaia is covered by trees (38%) and water (28%) within 3 km, water (34%) and trees (32%) within 16 km, and grassland (31%), trees (30%) and water (23%) within 80 km.

3 km
422 m
16 km
1,443 m
80 km
2,279 m
treesgrasslandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewater
May weather nearby: Río Grande 120 km · Punta Arenas 250 km · Río Gallegos 360 km · Puerto Natales 441 km · El Calafate 564 km · El Chalten 684 km · Stanley 776 km · Puerto Deseado 803 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 Ushuaia (-54.8108°, -68.3159°, elevation 6 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).