Copiapó climate
Copiapó (Chile) has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). The average temperature over the year is 17 °C62 °F, and about 38 mm1.5 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Copiapó climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2780 | 1458 | 2169 | 30.1 |
| Feb | 2780 | 1558 | 2169 | 20.1 |
| Mar | 2577 | 1356 | 1967 | 20.1 |
| Apr | 2272 | 1253 | 1762 | 10.1 |
| May | 2068 | 1050 | 1559 | 50.2 |
| Jun | 1965 | 948 | 1457 | 80.3 |
| Jul | 1865 | 846 | 1355 | 60.2 |
| Aug | 1967 | 847 | 1457 | 50.2 |
| Sep | 2169 | 947 | 1558 | 10.1 |
| Oct | 2272 | 1049 | 1661 | 10.0 |
| Nov | 2475 | 1152 | 1763 | 10.1 |
| Dec | 2577 | 1355 | 1966 | 20.1 |
| Year | 2780 | 846 | 1762 | 381.5 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65% | 25% | 8.3 | 13:41 |
| Feb | 67% | 25% | 7.7 | 13:04 |
| Mar | 70% | 26% | 6.5 | 12:19 |
| Apr | 74% | 30% | 5.1 | 11:28 |
| May | 73% | 41% | 3.8 | 10:47 |
| Jun | 72% | 38% | 3.5 | 10:25 |
| Jul | 70% | 35% | 3.8 | 10:34 |
| Aug | 68% | 32% | 4.7 | 11:09 |
| Sep | 68% | 30% | 6.0 | 11:58 |
| Oct | 67% | 31% | 7.1 | 12:48 |
| Nov | 66% | 27% | 8.0 | 13:31 |
| Dec | 66% | 25% | 8.4 | 13:52 |
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 Copiapó is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 27 °C80 °F and a low of 14 °C58 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 18 °C65 °F and lows 8 °C46 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 7.6 °C13.7 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is very dry, with only 38 mm1.5 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 50% of the annual total. The wettest month is June (8 mm0.3 in), the driest is October (1 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 65% in January to 74% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 25%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in June to 11 km/h (7 mph) in December. Daylight lasts from about 10.4 hours in June to 13.9 hours in December.
Best time to visit Copiapó
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are all year: average highs of 18 °C65 °F to 27 °C80 °F with 1 mm0.0 in to 8 mm0.3 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 Copiapó
- Summer (December–February) — highs 2577 to 27 °C80 °F, lows 1355 to 15 °C58 °F, about 2 mm0.1 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.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2068 to 25 °C77 °F, lows 1050 to 13 °C56 °F, about 3 mm0.1 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.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 1865 to 19 °C67 °F, lows 846 to 9 °C48 °F, about 6 mm0.2 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.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 2169 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 947 to 11 °C52 °F, about 1 mm0.1 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 Copiapó compares
Compared with Coquimbo, about 304 km to the south, Copiapó is on average 3 °C5.4 °F cooler and receives 58% less precipitation (38 mm1.5 in vs 92 mm3.6 in). The difference is largest in April (3.4 °C6.1 °F cooler).
Of the 25 places in Chile covered by World Climates, Copiapó is the 10th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 20th 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): Abha (Saudi Arabia, BWh), Sabt Alalayah (Saudi Arabia, BWk) and Dhamar (Yemen, BWk).
Nearby places
- Coquimbo 304 km · 20 °C67 °F · 92 mm3.6 in
- La Rioja 409 km · 22 °C71 °F · 436 mm17 in
- Antofagasta 413 km · 17 °C62 °F · 9 mm0.4 in
- Catamarca 463 km · 21 °C70 °F · 473 mm19 in
- Rawson 500 km · 21 °C70 °F · 145 mm5.7 in
- San Miguel de Tucumán 511 km · 21 °C71 °F · 923 mm36 in
- Calama 564 km · 16 °C61 °F · 33 mm1.3 in
- Salta 567 km · 21 °C70 °F · 783 mm31 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Copiapó?
January is the warmest month in Copiapó, with an average high of 27 °C (80 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (58 °F).
What is the coldest month in Copiapó?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 18 °C (65 °F) and an average low of 8 °C (46 °F).
When does it rain the most in Copiapó?
June is the wettest month with about 8 mm (0.3 in) of precipitation; October is the driest with about 1 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Copiapó?
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.