Punta Arenas climate
Punta Arenas (Chile) has a tundra climate (Köppen ET). The average temperature over the year is 6 °C43 °F, and about 577 mm23 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Punta Arenas climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1355 | 745 | 1050 | 572.3 | 0 |
| Feb | 1355 | 745 | 1050 | 451.8 | 0 |
| Mar | 1152 | 643 | 948 | 582.3 | 0 |
| Apr | 948 | 540 | 744 | 602.3 | 0 |
| May | 643 | 337 | 540 | 522.1 | 1 |
| Jun | 440 | 235 | 337 | 491.9 | 5 |
| Jul | 439 | 134 | 337 | 451.8 | 6 |
| Aug | 541 | 134 | 337 | 441.7 | 5 |
| Sep | 745 | 236 | 540 | 351.4 | 1 |
| Oct | 948 | 438 | 643 | 381.5 | 0 |
| Nov | 1051 | 541 | 846 | 431.7 | 0 |
| Dec | 1253 | 643 | 948 | 512.0 | 0 |
| Year | 1355 | 134 | 643 | 57723 | 18 |
“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 | 76% | 84% | 5.0 | 16:24 |
| Feb | 78% | 80% | 4.1 | 14:39 |
| Mar | 81% | 81% | 2.7 | 12:41 |
| Apr | 84% | 78% | 1.5 | 10:29 |
| May | 88% | 75% | 0.8 | 8:37 |
| Jun | 89% | 74% | 0.5 | 7:34 |
| Jul | 89% | 75% | 0.6 | 8:00 |
| Aug | 86% | 76% | 1.2 | 9:39 |
| Sep | 83% | 77% | 2.4 | 11:47 |
| Oct | 78% | 79% | 3.8 | 13:56 |
| Nov | 76% | 83% | 4.8 | 15:54 |
| Dec | 76% | 83% | 5.4 | 16:56 |
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 Punta Arenas is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 13 °C55 °F and a low of 7 °C45 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 4 °C39 °F and lows 1 °C34 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 7.4 °C13.3 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 577 mm23 in. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is April (60 mm2.3 in), the driest is September (35 mm1.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 76% in December to 89% in June. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 74%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 19 km/h (12 mph) in May to 22 km/h (14 mph) in November. Daylight lasts from about 7.6 hours in June to 16.9 hours in December.
A lasting snow cover is typical in June–August, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in July, about 13 cm).
Best time to visit Punta Arenas
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are January and February: average highs of 13 °C55 °F to 13 °C55 °F with 45 mm1.8 in to 57 mm2.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is cold, with average highs of 4 °C39 °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 Punta Arenas
- Summer (December–February) — highs 1253 to 13 °C55 °F, lows 643 to 7 °C45 °F, about 51 mm2.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 643 to 11 °C52 °F, lows 337 to 6 °C43 °F, about 57 mm2.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 439 to 5 °C41 °F, lows 134 to 2 °C35 °F, about 46 mm1.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 745 to 10 °C51 °F, lows 236 to 5 °C41 °F, about 39 mm1.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
How Punta Arenas compares
Of the 25 places in Chile covered by World Climates, Punta Arenas is the 25th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 11th 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): Stanley (Falkland Islands, Cfc), Tórshavn (Faroe Islands, Cfc) and Port-aux-Français (French Southern Territories, ET).
Nearby places
- Comodoro Rivadavia 848 km · 12 °C53 °F · 289 mm11 in
- Stanley 899 km · 6 °C44 °F · 651 mm26 in
- Puerto Montt 1,309 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,337 mm53 in
- Osorno 1,410 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,131 mm45 in
- Valdivia 1,495 km · 12 °C53 °F · 1,111 mm44 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Punta Arenas?
February is the warmest month in Punta Arenas, with an average high of 13 °C (55 °F) and an average low of 7 °C (45 °F).
What is the coldest month in Punta Arenas?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 4 °C (39 °F) and an average low of 1 °C (34 °F).
When does it rain the most in Punta Arenas?
April is the wettest month with about 60 mm (2.3 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 35 mm (1.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Punta Arenas?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are January and February.
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.