La Rioja climate
La Rioja (Argentina) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 22 °C71 °F, and about 436 mm17 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
La Rioja climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3596 | 2272 | 2984 | 913.6 |
| Feb | 3492 | 2170 | 2781 | 753.0 |
| Mar | 3188 | 1966 | 2577 | 622.4 |
| Apr | 2781 | 1559 | 2170 | 351.4 |
| May | 2272 | 1152 | 1762 | 120.5 |
| Jun | 2067 | 846 | 1457 | 40.2 |
| Jul | 1967 | 744 | 1355 | 40.1 |
| Aug | 2373 | 847 | 1660 | 30.1 |
| Sep | 2780 | 1253 | 1966 | 150.6 |
| Oct | 3188 | 1661 | 2474 | 190.7 |
| Nov | 3493 | 1967 | 2780 | 381.5 |
| Dec | 3595 | 2271 | 2883 | 763.0 |
| Year | 3596 | 744 | 2271 | 43617 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51% | 48% | 7.3 | 13:50 |
| Feb | 56% | 48% | 6.4 | 13:09 |
| Mar | 61% | 44% | 5.5 | 12:20 |
| Apr | 63% | 43% | 4.3 | 11:25 |
| May | 62% | 47% | 3.4 | 10:40 |
| Jun | 57% | 43% | 3.2 | 10:16 |
| Jul | 52% | 35% | 3.6 | 10:26 |
| Aug | 44% | 30% | 4.6 | 11:04 |
| Sep | 41% | 31% | 5.7 | 11:58 |
| Oct | 41% | 37% | 6.7 | 12:52 |
| Nov | 43% | 38% | 7.4 | 13:39 |
| Dec | 47% | 43% | 7.5 | 14:01 |
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 La Rioja is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 35 °C96 °F and a low of 22 °C72 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 19 °C67 °F and lows 7 °C44 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 15.9 °C28.5 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 436 mm17 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 56% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–October. The wettest month is January (91 mm3.6 in), the driest is August (3 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 41% in October to 63% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 30%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (3 mph) in June to 11 km/h (7 mph) in November. Daylight lasts from about 10.3 hours in June to 14.0 hours in December.
Best time to visit La Rioja
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–September: average highs of 19 °C67 °F to 27 °C81 °F with 3 mm0.1 in to 35 mm1.4 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is hot, with average highs of 35 °C96 °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 La Rioja
- Summer (December–February) — highs 3492 to 35 °C96 °F, lows 2170 to 22 °C72 °F, about 81 mm3.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2272 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 1152 to 19 °C66 °F, about 37 mm1.4 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.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 1967 to 23 °C73 °F, lows 744 to 8 °C47 °F, about 4 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.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 2780 to 34 °C93 °F, lows 1253 to 19 °C67 °F, about 24 mm1.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How La Rioja compares
Compared with Santiago del Estero, about 310 km to the northeast, La Rioja is on average 0.3 °C0.6 °F cooler and receives 36% less precipitation (436 mm17 in vs 682 mm27 in). The difference is largest in September (1.1 °C1.9 °F cooler).
Of the 31 places in Argentina covered by World Climates, La Rioja is the 5th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 26th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Argentina climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Gaborone (Botswana, BSh), Panzhihua (China, Cwa) and Monclova (Mexico, BSh).
Nearby places
- Catamarca 148 km · 21 °C70 °F · 473 mm19 in
- Rawson 290 km · 21 °C70 °F · 145 mm5.7 in
- Santiago del Estero 310 km · 22 °C71 °F · 682 mm27 in
- San Miguel de Tucumán 331 km · 21 °C71 °F · 923 mm36 in
- Córdoba 338 km · 19 °C66 °F · 799 mm31 in
- Copiapó 409 km · 17 °C62 °F · 38 mm1.5 in
- Mendoza 430 km · 17 °C63 °F · 290 mm11 in
- San Luis 434 km · 17 °C62 °F · 694 mm27 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in La Rioja?
January is the warmest month in La Rioja, with an average high of 35 °C (96 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (72 °F).
What is the coldest month in La Rioja?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 19 °C (67 °F) and an average low of 7 °C (44 °F).
When does it rain the most in La Rioja?
January is the wettest month with about 91 mm (3.6 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 3 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit La Rioja?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–September.
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 758 m, while La Rioja lies at about 493 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.7 °C3.1 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.