Rancagua climate
Rancagua (Chile) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 19 °C66 °F, and about 301 mm12 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Rancagua climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3493 | 1966 | 2679 | 90.4 |
| Feb | 3391 | 1865 | 2578 | 110.4 |
| Mar | 3188 | 1661 | 2474 | 120.5 |
| Apr | 2780 | 1355 | 2068 | 140.6 |
| May | 2272 | 1050 | 1661 | 471.8 |
| Jun | 1865 | 744 | 1355 | 642.5 |
| Jul | 1864 | 643 | 1253 | 481.9 |
| Aug | 1967 | 745 | 1356 | 441.7 |
| Sep | 2272 | 948 | 1660 | 180.7 |
| Oct | 2578 | 1152 | 1865 | 160.6 |
| Nov | 3085 | 1457 | 2271 | 100.4 |
| Dec | 3290 | 1762 | 2476 | 90.3 |
| Year | 3493 | 643 | 1966 | 30112 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31% | 34% | 8.7 | 14:12 |
| Feb | 33% | 33% | 7.8 | 13:22 |
| Mar | 32% | 36% | 6.3 | 12:23 |
| Apr | 34% | 50% | 4.2 | 11:17 |
| May | 43% | 68% | 2.6 | 10:22 |
| Jun | 52% | 72% | 1.9 | 9:53 |
| Jul | 55% | 73% | 2.1 | 10:05 |
| Aug | 54% | 72% | 2.8 | 10:52 |
| Sep | 50% | 70% | 4.0 | 11:56 |
| Oct | 44% | 67% | 5.4 | 13:01 |
| Nov | 35% | 52% | 7.3 | 13:58 |
| Dec | 30% | 41% | 8.4 | 14:25 |
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 Rancagua is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 34 °C93 °F and a low of 19 °C66 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 18 °C64 °F and lows 6 °C43 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 14.3 °C25.8 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is dry, with about 301 mm12 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 53% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: September–April. The wettest month is June (64 mm2.5 in), the driest is December (9 mm0.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 30% in December to 55% in July. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 33%) are typical of February. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in May to 7 km/h (5 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 9.9 hours in June to 14.4 hours in December.
Best time to visit Rancagua
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–June and August–November: average highs of 18 °C65 °F to 30 °C85 °F with 10 mm0.4 in to 64 mm2.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is hot, with average highs of 34 °C93 °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 Rancagua
- Summer (December–February) — highs 3290 to 34 °C93 °F, lows 1762 to 19 °C66 °F, about 9 mm0.4 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 2272 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 1050 to 16 °C61 °F, about 24 mm1.0 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 1864 to 19 °C67 °F, lows 643 to 7 °C45 °F, about 52 mm2.0 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.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 2272 to 30 °C85 °F, lows 948 to 14 °C57 °F, about 15 mm0.6 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 Rancagua compares
Compared with Santiago, about 80 km to the north, Rancagua has practically the same average temperature and receives 10% more precipitation (301 mm12 in vs 274 mm11 in). The difference is largest in June (0.6 °C1 °F cooler).
Of the 25 places in Chile covered by World Climates, Rancagua is the 6th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 14th 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): Cartagena (Spain, BSh), Escondido (United States, BSh) and El Cajon (United States, BSh).
Nearby places
- Santiago 80 km · 19 °C67 °F · 274 mm11 in
- Curicó 101 km · 17 °C63 °F · 351 mm14 in
- Colina 107 km · 20 °C68 °F · 256 mm10 in
- Viña del Mar 148 km · 18 °C65 °F · 287 mm11 in
- Valparaíso 151 km · 14 °C58 °F · 238 mm9.4 in
- Talca 162 km · 15 °C60 °F · 505 mm20 in
- Mendoza 226 km · 17 °C63 °F · 290 mm11 in
- San Rafael 226 km · 17 °C62 °F · 410 mm16 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Rancagua?
January is the warmest month in Rancagua, with an average high of 34 °C (93 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (66 °F).
What is the coldest month in Rancagua?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 18 °C (64 °F) and an average low of 6 °C (43 °F).
When does it rain the most in Rancagua?
June is the wettest month with about 64 mm (2.5 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 9 mm (0.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Rancagua?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–June and August–November.
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 1,196 m, while Rancagua lies at about 520 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +4.4 °C7.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.