San Pedro de Atacama in Summer
In summer (December, January and February), San Pedro de Atacama sees average daytime highs around 26°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 52 mm of rain over about 9 wet days across the season. It is the warmest season of the year and the wettest season of the year.
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 26°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels dry.
Summer is San Pedro de Atacama's weakest season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see San Pedro de Atacama's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 26°C
- warmest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 12°C
- Rainfall
- 52 mm
- 9 wet days
- Avg wind
- 7 km/h
- Travel score
- 8.2
- weakest season of the year
- Months
- Dec · Jan · Feb
Temperature in San Pedro de Atacama in Summer
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 26°C.
A typical summer day in San Pedro de Atacama reaches about 26°C and drops to 12°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is December, the coolest December.
How summer really feels in San Pedro de Atacama
Once humidity and wind are folded in, summer brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
summer sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
San Pedro de Atacama weather by month
How the three summer months (December, January and February) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26° / 13° | 22 | 3.8 | 13.2 | 8.0 |
| Feb | 25° / 12° | 28 | 4.6 | 12.8 | 8.0 |
| Mar | 25° / 11° | 14 | 2.5 | 12.2 | 8.8 |
| Apr | 23° / 8° | 3 | 0.6 | 11.5 | 9.2 |
| May | 20° / 5° | 3 | 0.7 | 10.9 | 8.6 |
| Jun | 19° / 3° | 2 | 0.3 | 10.6 | 8.2 |
| Jul | 19° / 3° | 2 | 0.7 | 10.7 | 8.2 |
| Aug | 20° / 4° | 3 | 0.5 | 11.2 | 8.7 |
| Sep | 22° / 6° | 2 | 0.4 | 11.9 | 9.2 |
| Oct | 24° / 8° | 0 | 0.1 | 12.5 | 9.5 |
| Nov | 26° / 10° | 0 | 0 | 13.1 | 9.2 |
| Dec | 26° / 12° | 2 | 0.6 | 13.4 | 8.6 |
Cloud cover in Summer
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time across summer.
Chance of precipitation in Summer
San Pedro de Atacama gets around 52 mm of rain over 9 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Summer
Most of summer feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Summer
Winds average 7 km/h across summer.
Sunrise & sunset in Summer
Daylight runs from about 13 h 18 min in early December to 12 h 30 min by late February. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Summer
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across summer, about 8.5 kWh/m².
Is summer a good time to visit San Pedro de Atacama?
Our two travel scores rate summer for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
summer is one of the better times to visit San Pedro de Atacama for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for San Pedro de Atacama in Summer
From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In summer, San Pedro de Atacama sees daytime highs around 26°C and nights near 12°C. Pack sun protection. Worth having: light clothes. About 9 days see rain.
UV index in San Pedro de Atacama in Summer
Clear-sky midday UV across summer averages around 17 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in San Pedro de Atacama peaks around January 13 at about 17 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 10 at about 7 (high).
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) | 17 | 17 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17 | Extreme |
| Feb | 17 | Extreme |
| Mar | 15 | Extreme |
| Apr | 11 | Extreme |
| May | 9 | Very high |
| Jun | 7 | High |
| Jul | 7 | High |
| Aug | 10 | Very high |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 15 | Extreme |
| Nov | 16 | Extreme |
| Dec | 17 | Extreme |
Where is San Pedro de Atacama?
San Pedro de Atacama sits at 22.9°S, 68.2°W, 0 m above sea level, in Chile. The nearest listed city is Calama, 90 km away.
Topography around San Pedro de Atacama
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of San Pedro de Atacama.
Within 3 km, the terrain around San Pedro de Atacama has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 228 m around an average of 2,445 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 704 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,696 m.
The land around San Pedro de Atacama is covered by bare terrain (81%) within 3 km, bare terrain (98%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (96%) within 80 km.
Chile travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type C / F / L
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 48% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $17,995
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.3 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 98%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 6.3
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 14.9
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- English
- Moderate
- EF EPI 517
- 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 San Pedro de Atacama (-22.9111°, -68.2011°, 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.