Antofagasta climate
Antofagasta (Chile) has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). The average temperature over the year is 17 °C62 °F, and about 9 mm0.4 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Antofagasta climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2271 | 1864 | 2068 | 10.0 |
| Feb | 2272 | 1965 | 2069 | 20.1 |
| Mar | 2170 | 1763 | 1967 | 10.0 |
| Apr | 1967 | 1660 | 1864 | 00.0 |
| May | 1864 | 1457 | 1661 | 00.0 |
| Jun | 1762 | 1355 | 1559 | 20.1 |
| Jul | 1660 | 1253 | 1457 | 10.0 |
| Aug | 1660 | 1253 | 1457 | 10.1 |
| Sep | 1661 | 1253 | 1457 | 00.0 |
| Oct | 1762 | 1355 | 1559 | 00.0 |
| Nov | 1865 | 1458 | 1661 | 00.0 |
| Dec | 2068 | 1661 | 1864 | 10.0 |
| Year | 2272 | 1253 | 1762 | 90.4 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77% | 49% | 8.3 | 13:26 |
| Feb | 77% | 47% | 7.8 | 12:55 |
| Mar | 80% | 46% | 6.8 | 12:17 |
| Apr | 81% | 54% | 5.5 | 11:34 |
| May | 82% | 63% | 4.3 | 10:59 |
| Jun | 82% | 70% | 3.6 | 10:41 |
| Jul | 82% | 69% | 3.8 | 10:48 |
| Aug | 82% | 66% | 4.7 | 11:18 |
| Sep | 81% | 61% | 5.9 | 11:00 |
| Oct | 80% | 61% | 7.1 | 12:41 |
| Nov | 78% | 57% | 8.0 | 13:18 |
| Dec | 77% | 46% | 8.6 | 13:35 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Antofagasta is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 22 °C72 °F and a low of 19 °C65 °F. The coldest is August, when highs average 16 °C60 °F and lows 12 °C53 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 6.7 °C12 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is very dry, with only 9 mm0.4 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 49% of the annual total. The wettest month is June (2 mm0.1 in), the driest is November (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 77% in December to 82% in May. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 46%) are typical of March. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (6 mph) in June to 11 km/h (7 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 10.7 hours in June to 13.6 hours in December.
Best time to visit Antofagasta
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–April: average highs of 18 °C65 °F to 22 °C72 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 2 mm0.1 in of precipitation per month.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Antofagasta
- Summer (December–February) — highs 2068 to 22 °C72 °F, lows 1661 to 19 °C65 °F, about 1 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 1864 to 21 °C70 °F, lows 1457 to 17 °C63 °F, about 0 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 1660 to 17 °C62 °F, lows 1253 to 13 °C55 °F, about 1 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 1661 to 18 °C65 °F, lows 1253 to 14 °C58 °F, about 0 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Antofagasta compares
Of the 25 places in Chile covered by World Climates, Antofagasta is the 11th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 24th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Chile climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Sanaa (Yemen, BWh), Sabt Alalayah (Saudi Arabia, BWk) and Dakhla (Western Sahara, BWh).
Nearby places
- Calama 201 km · 16 °C61 °F · 33 mm1.3 in
- Alto Hospicio 377 km · 19 °C66 °F · 8 mm0.3 in
- Iquique 383 km · 23 °C73 °F · 11 mm0.4 in
- Copiapó 413 km · 17 °C62 °F · 38 mm1.5 in
- Salta 521 km · 21 °C70 °F · 783 mm31 in
- San Salvador de Jujuy 522 km · 19 °C66 °F · 790 mm31 in
- Arica 576 km · 27 °C80 °F · 26 mm1.0 in
- Tacna 627 km · 26 °C79 °F · 48 mm1.9 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Antofagasta?
February is the warmest month in Antofagasta, with an average high of 22 °C (72 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (65 °F).
What is the coldest month in Antofagasta?
August is the coldest month, with an average high of 16 °C (60 °F) and an average low of 12 °C (53 °F).
When does it rain the most in Antofagasta?
June is the wettest month with about 2 mm (0.1 in) of precipitation; November is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Antofagasta?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are November–April.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 108 m, while Antofagasta lies at about 276 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −1.1 °C2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.