Mendoza climate
Mendoza (Argentina) has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). The average temperature over the year is 17 °C63 °F, and about 290 mm11 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Mendoza climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3392 | 1965 | 2679 | 471.9 | 0 |
| Feb | 3289 | 1763 | 2476 | 491.9 | 0 |
| Mar | 2984 | 1458 | 2271 | 371.4 | 0 |
| Apr | 2475 | 1050 | 1762 | 281.1 | 0 |
| May | 1965 | 643 | 1254 | 190.8 | 0 |
| Jun | 1660 | 236 | 948 | 70.3 | 3 |
| Jul | 1559 | 235 | 847 | 100.4 | 6 |
| Aug | 1865 | 338 | 1151 | 90.4 | 4 |
| Sep | 2271 | 643 | 1457 | 80.3 | 1 |
| Oct | 2679 | 1051 | 1865 | 150.6 | 0 |
| Nov | 3086 | 1457 | 2272 | 311.2 | 0 |
| Dec | 3290 | 1762 | 2576 | 301.2 | 0 |
| Year | 3392 | 235 | 1763 | 29011 | 15 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41% | 38% | 7.8 | 14:05 |
| Feb | 46% | 39% | 6.9 | 13:19 |
| Mar | 49% | 37% | 5.7 | 12:23 |
| Apr | 53% | 37% | 4.4 | 11:19 |
| May | 58% | 48% | 3.3 | 10:27 |
| Jun | 54% | 41% | 3.0 | 9:00 |
| Jul | 52% | 42% | 3.3 | 10:11 |
| Aug | 45% | 35% | 4.2 | 10:55 |
| Sep | 42% | 35% | 5.5 | 11:56 |
| Oct | 39% | 36% | 6.8 | 12:58 |
| Nov | 36% | 31% | 7.9 | 13:52 |
| Dec | 37% | 30% | 8.3 | 14:19 |
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 Mendoza is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 19 °C65 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 15 °C59 °F and lows 2 °C35 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 17.5 °C31.5 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is dry, with about 290 mm11 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 46% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–October. The wettest month is February (49 mm1.9 in), the driest is June (7 mm0.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 36% in November to 58% in May. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 30%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in June to 12 km/h (8 mph) in November. Daylight lasts from about 10.0 hours in June to 14.3 hours in December.
Best time to visit Mendoza
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March–May and September and October: average highs of 19 °C65 °F to 29 °C84 °F with 8 mm0.3 in to 37 mm1.4 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 Mendoza
- Summer (December–February) — highs 3289 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 1762 to 19 °C65 °F, about 42 mm1.6 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.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 1965 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 643 to 14 °C58 °F, about 28 mm1.1 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 1559 to 18 °C65 °F, lows 235 to 3 °C38 °F, about 9 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 2271 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 643 to 14 °C57 °F, about 18 mm0.7 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.
How Mendoza compares
Compared with Rawson, about 148 km to the north, Mendoza is on average 4 °C7.2 °F cooler and receives 99% more precipitation (290 mm11 in vs 145 mm5.7 in). The difference is largest in June (5.5 °C9.8 °F cooler).
Of the 31 places in Argentina covered by World Climates, Mendoza is the 18th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 28th 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): Broken Hill (Australia, BWh), Bloemfontein (South Africa, BSk) and Hidalgo del Parral (Mexico, BSk).
Nearby places
- Rawson 148 km · 21 °C70 °F · 145 mm5.7 in
- Colina 174 km · 20 °C68 °F · 256 mm10 in
- Santiago 179 km · 19 °C67 °F · 274 mm11 in
- San Rafael 198 km · 17 °C62 °F · 410 mm16 in
- Rancagua 226 km · 19 °C66 °F · 301 mm12 in
- San Luis 239 km · 17 °C62 °F · 694 mm27 in
- Viña del Mar 253 km · 18 °C65 °F · 287 mm11 in
- Valparaíso 260 km · 14 °C58 °F · 238 mm9.4 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Mendoza?
January is the warmest month in Mendoza, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (65 °F).
What is the coldest month in Mendoza?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 15 °C (59 °F) and an average low of 2 °C (35 °F).
When does it rain the most in Mendoza?
February is the wettest month with about 49 mm (1.9 in) of precipitation; June is the driest with about 7 mm (0.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Mendoza?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March–May and September and October.
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 918 m, while Mendoza lies at about 853 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.4 °C0.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.