Santiago del Estero climate
Santiago del Estero (Argentina) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 22 °C71 °F, and about 682 mm27 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Santiago del Estero climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3696 | 2169 | 2883 | 1295.1 | 0 |
| Feb | 3494 | 2068 | 2781 | 1084.3 | 0 |
| Mar | 3289 | 1865 | 2577 | 1034.1 | 0 |
| Apr | 2882 | 1559 | 2171 | 522.0 | 0 |
| May | 2475 | 1051 | 1763 | 160.6 | 0 |
| Jun | 2170 | 745 | 1458 | 130.5 | 0 |
| Jul | 2170 | 643 | 1457 | 20.1 | 1 |
| Aug | 2577 | 846 | 1661 | 40.2 | 0 |
| Sep | 2984 | 1253 | 2068 | 150.6 | 0 |
| Oct | 3391 | 1661 | 2576 | 512.0 | 0 |
| Nov | 3595 | 1966 | 2780 | 783.1 | 0 |
| Dec | 3696 | 2068 | 2882 | 1084.3 | 0 |
| Year | 3696 | 643 | 2271 | 68227 | 2 |
“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 | 59% | 61% | 6.7 | 13:43 |
| Feb | 64% | 64% | 6.0 | 13:05 |
| Mar | 67% | 63% | 4.9 | 12:19 |
| Apr | 71% | 63% | 3.8 | 11:28 |
| May | 70% | 62% | 3.1 | 10:45 |
| Jun | 69% | 58% | 2.8 | 10:23 |
| Jul | 61% | 52% | 3.4 | 10:32 |
| Aug | 51% | 43% | 4.4 | 11:08 |
| Sep | 44% | 44% | 5.3 | 11:58 |
| Oct | 46% | 54% | 5.9 | 12:49 |
| Nov | 49% | 51% | 6.6 | 13:32 |
| Dec | 55% | 61% | 6.6 | 13:54 |
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 Santiago del Estero is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 36 °C96 °F and a low of 21 °C69 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 21 °C70 °F and lows 6 °C43 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 14.6 °C26.3 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 682 mm27 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 51% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–September. The wettest month is January (129 mm5.1 in), the driest is July (2 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 44% in September to 71% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 43%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 0 km/h (0 mph) in March to 3 km/h (2 mph) in September. Daylight lasts from about 10.4 hours in June to 13.9 hours in December.
Best time to visit Santiago del Estero
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–September: average highs of 21 °C70 °F to 29 °C84 °F with 2 mm0.1 in to 52 mm2.0 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is hot, with average highs of 36 °C96 °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 Santiago del Estero
- Summer (December–February) — highs 3494 to 36 °C96 °F, lows 2068 to 21 °C69 °F, about 115 mm4.5 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 2475 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 1051 to 18 °C65 °F, about 57 mm2.3 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 2170 to 25 °C77 °F, lows 643 to 8 °C46 °F, about 7 mm0.3 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 2984 to 35 °C95 °F, lows 1253 to 19 °C66 °F, about 48 mm1.9 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 Santiago del Estero compares
Compared with San Miguel de Tucumán, about 144 km to the northwest, Santiago del Estero is on average 0.5 °C0.8 °F warmer and receives 26% less precipitation (682 mm27 in vs 923 mm36 in). The difference is largest in January (1.4 °C2.5 °F warmer).
Of the 31 places in Argentina covered by World Climates, Santiago del Estero is the 2nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 23rd 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): Gaborone (Botswana, BSh), Panzhihua (China, Cwa) and Rustenburg (South Africa, BSh).
Nearby places
- San Miguel de Tucumán 144 km · 21 °C71 °F · 923 mm36 in
- Catamarca 167 km · 21 °C70 °F · 473 mm19 in
- La Rioja 310 km · 22 °C71 °F · 436 mm17 in
- Salta 352 km · 21 °C70 °F · 783 mm31 in
- Córdoba 401 km · 19 °C66 °F · 799 mm31 in
- San Salvador de Jujuy 414 km · 19 °C66 °F · 790 mm31 in
- Corrientes 536 km · 22 °C71 °F · 1,384 mm55 in
- Santa Fe 548 km · 19 °C67 °F · 1,153 mm45 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Santiago del Estero?
January is the warmest month in Santiago del Estero, with an average high of 36 °C (96 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (69 °F).
What is the coldest month in Santiago del Estero?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 21 °C (70 °F) and an average low of 6 °C (43 °F).
When does it rain the most in Santiago del Estero?
January is the wettest month with about 129 mm (5.1 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 2 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Santiago del Estero?
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 231 m, while Santiago del Estero lies at about 176 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.4 °C0.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.