San Rafael climate
San Rafael (Argentina) has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). The average temperature over the year is 17 °C62 °F, and about 410 mm16 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
San Rafael climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3392 | 1864 | 2678 | 612.4 | 0 |
| Feb | 3289 | 1762 | 2476 | 622.4 | 0 |
| Mar | 2883 | 1457 | 2170 | 461.8 | 0 |
| Apr | 2373 | 948 | 1661 | 311.2 | 0 |
| May | 1864 | 541 | 1253 | 321.3 | 1 |
| Jun | 1558 | 235 | 847 | 90.4 | 4 |
| Jul | 1457 | 133 | 745 | 200.8 | 6 |
| Aug | 1763 | 337 | 1050 | 160.6 | 4 |
| Sep | 2169 | 642 | 1356 | 210.8 | 1 |
| Oct | 2577 | 949 | 1763 | 351.4 | 0 |
| Nov | 2985 | 1355 | 2170 | 351.4 | 0 |
| Dec | 3290 | 1661 | 2476 | 421.7 | 0 |
| Year | 3392 | 133 | 1762 | 41016 | 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 | 38% | 33% | 8.1 | 14:14 |
| Feb | 43% | 35% | 7.0 | 13:23 |
| Mar | 48% | 31% | 5.8 | 12:24 |
| Apr | 54% | 37% | 4.3 | 11:16 |
| May | 61% | 50% | 3.0 | 10:20 |
| Jun | 59% | 46% | 2.7 | 9:51 |
| Jul | 57% | 47% | 2.9 | 10:03 |
| Aug | 51% | 42% | 3.9 | 10:50 |
| Sep | 46% | 41% | 5.2 | 11:56 |
| Oct | 43% | 41% | 6.5 | 13:02 |
| Nov | 37% | 33% | 7.8 | 13:00 |
| Dec | 36% | 30% | 8.4 | 14:28 |
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 San Rafael is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 18 °C64 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 14 °C57 °F and lows 1 °C33 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 18.2 °C32.7 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 410 mm16 in. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 41% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June–August. The wettest month is February (62 mm2.4 in), the driest is June (9 mm0.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 36% in December to 61% in May. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 30%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (5 mph) in June to 12 km/h (7 mph) in November. Daylight lasts from about 9.8 hours in June to 14.5 hours in December.
Best time to visit San Rafael
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March and April and September–November: average highs of 21 °C69 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 21 mm0.8 in to 46 mm1.8 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 San Rafael
- Summer (December–February) — highs 3289 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 1661 to 18 °C64 °F, about 55 mm2.2 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 1864 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 541 to 14 °C57 °F, about 37 mm1.4 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 1457 to 17 °C63 °F, lows 133 to 3 °C37 °F, about 15 mm0.6 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 2169 to 29 °C85 °F, lows 642 to 13 °C55 °F, about 30 mm1.2 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 San Rafael compares
Compared with Rancagua, about 226 km to the west, San Rafael is on average 2.5 °C4.4 °F cooler and receives 36% more precipitation (410 mm16 in vs 301 mm12 in). The difference is largest in May (4.6 °C8.3 °F cooler).
Of the 31 places in Argentina covered by World Climates, San Rafael is the 23rd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 27th 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: Griffith (Australia, BSk), Bloemfontein (South Africa, BSk) and Botshabelo (South Africa, BSk).
Nearby places
- Mendoza 198 km · 17 °C63 °F · 290 mm11 in
- Rancagua 226 km · 19 °C66 °F · 301 mm12 in
- San Luis 237 km · 17 °C62 °F · 694 mm27 in
- Santiago 249 km · 19 °C67 °F · 274 mm11 in
- Colina 267 km · 20 °C68 °F · 256 mm10 in
- Curicó 269 km · 17 °C63 °F · 351 mm14 in
- Talca 315 km · 15 °C60 °F · 505 mm20 in
- Rawson 338 km · 21 °C70 °F · 145 mm5.7 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in San Rafael?
January is the warmest month in San Rafael, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (64 °F).
What is the coldest month in San Rafael?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 14 °C (57 °F) and an average low of 1 °C (33 °F).
When does it rain the most in San Rafael?
February is the wettest month with about 62 mm (2.4 in) of precipitation; June is the driest with about 9 mm (0.4 in).
What is the best time to visit San Rafael?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March and April and September–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 629 m, while San Rafael lies at about 690 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −0.4 °C0.7 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.