Salta climate
Salta (Argentina) has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). The average temperature over the year is 21 °C70 °F, and about 783 mm31 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Salta climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3086 | 1967 | 2577 | 1847.3 |
| Feb | 2985 | 1966 | 2475 | 1646.5 |
| Mar | 2883 | 1864 | 2373 | 1164.6 |
| Apr | 2780 | 1559 | 2170 | 572.2 |
| May | 2576 | 1152 | 1864 | 120.5 |
| Jun | 2475 | 949 | 1762 | 50.2 |
| Jul | 2475 | 947 | 1661 | 20.1 |
| Aug | 2679 | 1049 | 1864 | 30.1 |
| Sep | 2883 | 1253 | 2068 | 40.2 |
| Oct | 3188 | 1560 | 2374 | 291.1 |
| Nov | 3289 | 1763 | 2476 | 652.5 |
| Dec | 3188 | 1966 | 2577 | 1415.5 |
| Year | 3289 | 947 | 2170 | 78331 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74% | 69% | 6.3 | 13:31 |
| Feb | 78% | 68% | 5.8 | 12:58 |
| Mar | 79% | 59% | 5.4 | 12:18 |
| Apr | 73% | 54% | 4.7 | 11:32 |
| May | 62% | 47% | 4.2 | 10:55 |
| Jun | 52% | 45% | 3.9 | 10:36 |
| Jul | 46% | 38% | 4.3 | 10:44 |
| Aug | 42% | 34% | 5.2 | 11:16 |
| Sep | 45% | 39% | 6.1 | 11:59 |
| Oct | 52% | 50% | 6.6 | 12:43 |
| Nov | 59% | 52% | 6.9 | 13:22 |
| Dec | 69% | 62% | 6.5 | 13:40 |
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 Salta is like
The warmest month is December, with an average high of 31 °C88 °F and a low of 19 °C66 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 24 °C75 °F and lows 9 °C47 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 8.8 °C15.8 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 783 mm31 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 63% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–September. The wettest month is January (184 mm7.3 in), the driest is July (2 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 42% in August to 79% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 34%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in June to 11 km/h (7 mph) in November. Daylight lasts from about 10.6 hours in June to 13.7 hours in December.
Best time to visit Salta
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–September: average highs of 24 °C75 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 2 mm0.1 in to 57 mm2.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is hot, with average highs of 30 °C86 °F and very wet (184 mm7.3 in).
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 Salta
- Summer (December–February) — highs 2985 to 31 °C88 °F, lows around 19 °C66 °F, about 163 mm6.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2576 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 1152 to 18 °C64 °F, about 62 mm2.4 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 2475 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 947 to 10 °C49 °F, about 3 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.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 2883 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 1253 to 17 °C63 °F, about 33 mm1.3 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 Salta compares
Compared with San Miguel de Tucumán, about 224 km to the south, Salta has practically the same average temperature and receives 15% less precipitation (783 mm31 in vs 923 mm36 in). The difference is largest in June (2.5 °C4.6 °F warmer).
Of the 31 places in Argentina covered by World Climates, Salta is the 9th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 20th 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: Kwekwe (Zimbabwe, BSh), Mokopane (South Africa, BSh) and Thohoyandou (South Africa, BSh).
Nearby places
- San Salvador de Jujuy 69 km · 19 °C66 °F · 790 mm31 in
- San Miguel de Tucumán 224 km · 21 °C71 °F · 923 mm36 in
- Santiago del Estero 352 km · 22 °C71 °F · 682 mm27 in
- Tarija 370 km · 19 °C66 °F · 562 mm22 in
- Catamarca 409 km · 21 °C70 °F · 473 mm19 in
- Calama 442 km · 16 °C61 °F · 33 mm1.3 in
- Antofagasta 521 km · 17 °C62 °F · 9 mm0.4 in
- La Rioja 532 km · 22 °C71 °F · 436 mm17 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Salta?
December is the warmest month in Salta, with an average high of 31 °C (88 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (66 °F).
What is the coldest month in Salta?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 24 °C (75 °F) and an average low of 9 °C (47 °F).
When does it rain the most in Salta?
January is the wettest month with about 184 mm (7.3 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 2 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Salta?
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 2,169 m, while Salta lies at about 1,054 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +7.2 °C13 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.