Calama climate
Calama (Chile) has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). The average temperature over the year is 16 °C61 °F, and about 33 mm1.3 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Calama climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2780 | 1253 | 1967 | 80.3 |
| Feb | 2680 | 1253 | 1966 | 90.4 |
| Mar | 2679 | 1152 | 1965 | 60.2 |
| Apr | 2577 | 948 | 1762 | 10.0 |
| May | 2272 | 642 | 1457 | 20.1 |
| Jun | 2170 | 540 | 1355 | 00.0 |
| Jul | 2169 | 439 | 1254 | 10.0 |
| Aug | 2373 | 541 | 1457 | 00.0 |
| Sep | 2476 | 643 | 1560 | 00.0 |
| Oct | 2679 | 847 | 1763 | 00.0 |
| Nov | 2780 | 1049 | 1865 | 10.0 |
| Dec | 2781 | 1151 | 1966 | 40.1 |
| Year | 2781 | 439 | 1661 | 331.3 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36% | 39% | 8.6 | 13:22 |
| Feb | 39% | 39% | 8.0 | 12:52 |
| Mar | 32% | 27% | 7.6 | 12:17 |
| Apr | 22% | 27% | 6.5 | 11:36 |
| May | 19% | 29% | 5.4 | 11:03 |
| Jun | 17% | 31% | 4.8 | 10:46 |
| Jul | 16% | 31% | 5.1 | 10:53 |
| Aug | 14% | 26% | 6.1 | 11:21 |
| Sep | 16% | 23% | 7.4 | 11:00 |
| Oct | 17% | 24% | 8.6 | 12:39 |
| Nov | 19% | 23% | 9.3 | 13:14 |
| Dec | 26% | 27% | 9.2 | 13:30 |
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 Calama is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 27 °C80 °F and a low of 12 °C53 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 21 °C69 °F and lows 4 °C39 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 6.9 °C12.4 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is very dry, with only 33 mm1.3 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 70% of the annual total. The wettest month is February (9 mm0.4 in), the driest is June (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 14% in August to 39% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 23%) are typical of November. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 10 km/h (6 mph) in April to 12 km/h (7 mph) in December. Daylight lasts from about 10.8 hours in June to 13.5 hours in December.
Best time to visit Calama
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are all year: average highs of 21 °C69 °F to 27 °C81 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 9 mm0.4 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 Calama
- Wetter months (December–March) — highs 2679 to 27 °C81 °F, lows 1151 to 12 °C53 °F, about 7 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Drier months (April–November) — highs 2169 to 27 °C80 °F, lows 439 to 10 °C49 °F, about 1 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Calama compares
Compared with Antofagasta, about 201 km to the southwest, Calama has practically the same average temperature and receives 268% more precipitation (33 mm1.3 in vs 9 mm0.4 in). The difference is largest in October (2.2 °C3.9 °F warmer).
Of the 25 places in Chile covered by World Climates, Calama is the 12th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 21st 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): Dhamar (Yemen, BWk), Arequipa (Peru, BWk) and Sanaa (Yemen, BWh).
Nearby places
- Antofagasta 201 km · 17 °C62 °F · 9 mm0.4 in
- Alto Hospicio 272 km · 19 °C66 °F · 8 mm0.3 in
- Iquique 280 km · 23 °C73 °F · 11 mm0.4 in
- San Salvador de Jujuy 418 km · 19 °C66 °F · 790 mm31 in
- Salta 442 km · 21 °C70 °F · 783 mm31 in
- Tarija 444 km · 19 °C66 °F · 562 mm22 in
- Potosí 459 km · 7 °C45 °F · 488 mm19 in
- Arica 465 km · 27 °C80 °F · 26 mm1.0 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Calama?
January is the warmest month in Calama, with an average high of 27 °C (80 °F) and an average low of 12 °C (53 °F).
What is the coldest month in Calama?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 21 °C (69 °F) and an average low of 4 °C (39 °F).
When does it rain the most in Calama?
February is the wettest month with about 9 mm (0.4 in) of precipitation; June is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Calama?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are all year.
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 2,683 m, while Calama lies at about 2,275 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +2.7 °C4.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.