Arica climate
Arica (Chile) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C80 °F, and about 26 mm1.0 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Arica climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3392 | 2373 | 2882 | 50.2 |
| Feb | 3492 | 2374 | 2883 | 50.2 |
| Mar | 3492 | 2373 | 2883 | 30.1 |
| Apr | 3391 | 2170 | 2781 | 10.0 |
| May | 3290 | 2068 | 2679 | 00.0 |
| Jun | 3188 | 1966 | 2577 | 10.0 |
| Jul | 3187 | 1865 | 2576 | 40.2 |
| Aug | 3289 | 1966 | 2577 | 20.1 |
| Sep | 3290 | 1967 | 2678 | 20.1 |
| Oct | 3391 | 2068 | 2679 | 10.0 |
| Nov | 3391 | 2069 | 2780 | 10.0 |
| Dec | 3391 | 2271 | 2781 | 20.1 |
| Year | 3492 | 1865 | 2780 | 261.0 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65% | 65% | 7.4 | 13:07 |
| Feb | 67% | 65% | 7.2 | 12:43 |
| Mar | 64% | 59% | 6.7 | 12:15 |
| Apr | 56% | 60% | 5.5 | 11:42 |
| May | 46% | 72% | 4.1 | 11:15 |
| Jun | 44% | 81% | 3.3 | 11:02 |
| Jul | 42% | 83% | 3.3 | 11:07 |
| Aug | 40% | 82% | 3.9 | 11:30 |
| Sep | 42% | 79% | 4.9 | 12:01 |
| Oct | 47% | 78% | 6.0 | 12:33 |
| Nov | 52% | 70% | 7.0 | 13:01 |
| Dec | 60% | 64% | 7.6 | 13:14 |
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 Arica is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 34 °C92 °F and a low of 23 °C74 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 31 °C87 °F and lows 18 °C65 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 4 °C7.1 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is very dry, with only 26 mm1.0 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 48% of the annual total. The wettest month is January (5 mm0.2 in), the driest is May (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 40% in August to 67% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 59%) are typical of March. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in June to 9 km/h (6 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 11.0 hours in June to 13.2 hours in December.
Best time to visit Arica
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–August: average highs of 31 °C87 °F to 32 °C89 °F with 1 mm0.0 in to 4 mm0.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is March, which is hot, with average highs of 34 °C92 °F.
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 Arica
- Wetter months (December–March, July) — highs 3187 to 34 °C92 °F, lows 1865 to 23 °C74 °F, about 4 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Drier months (April–June, August–November) — highs 3188 to 33 °C91 °F, lows 1966 to 21 °C70 °F, about 1 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Arica compares
Compared with Tacna, about 51 km to the north, Arica is on average 0.5 °C0.9 °F warmer and receives 46% less precipitation (26 mm1.0 in vs 48 mm1.9 in). The difference is largest in February (1.7 °C3.1 °F warmer).
Of the 25 places in Chile covered by World Climates, Arica is the warmest by annual mean temperature and the 22nd 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: Tacna (Peru, BWh), Lima (Peru, BWh) and Santa Anita - Los Ficus (Peru, BWh).
Nearby places
- Tacna 51 km · 26 °C79 °F · 48 mm1.9 in
- Iquique 194 km · 23 °C73 °F · 11 mm0.4 in
- Alto Hospicio 200 km · 19 °C66 °F · 8 mm0.3 in
- Arequipa 266 km · 17 °C63 °F · 149 mm5.9 in
- Puno 295 km · 10 °C50 °F · 421 mm17 in
- La Paz 317 km · 8 °C47 °F · 647 mm25 in
- Juliaca 331 km · 10 °C49 °F · 482 mm19 in
- Oruro 343 km · 8 °C47 °F · 481 mm19 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Arica?
February is the warmest month in Arica, with an average high of 34 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (74 °F).
What is the coldest month in Arica?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 31 °C (87 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (65 °F).
When does it rain the most in Arica?
January is the wettest month with about 5 mm (0.2 in) of precipitation; May is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Arica?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June–August.
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 1,505 m, while Arica lies at about 80 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +9.3 °C16.7 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.