Argentina - Climate

The climate in Argentina varies widely for several reasons; among these are:

-   the northern end is at the latitude of 22 degrees south in the tropics, whereas the southern tip is 3900 km away at about 60 degrees south near the Antarctics

-   the great difference in altitude between the low-lying region and the mountainous region,

-   the presence of oceans in the east and south as against the Andes and other mountain ranges in the west which block moisture from the Pacific Ocean.

As a result, while the climate is mainly temperate in nature, there are extremes ranging from subtropical in the north to arid and sub-Antarctic in far south, and mild and humid in the central plains in Pampas.

When is the best time to visit Argentina?

(Remember that in the southern hemisphere seasons are the opposite of those in the northern hemisphere.)

The best time depends on the region to be visited:

-   summer (November to January):   visit Patagonia and the southern Andes, because of the mild temperatures and long days in the summer when the temperature can get up to 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas in the winter the temperature is often below freezing.  Furthermore, many places in the Patagonia are closed in winter.

-   winter (May to July):   visit the north and northwest, as rains are less frequent and temperatures are still in the high 60s or 70s Fahrenheit, whereas in the summer the temperature is often above 100 degrees..

-   autumn (February to April) and spring (August to October):   visit Pampas region including Buenos Aires, Cuyo and La Rioja and Catamarca, where the temperatures in these two seasons are usually between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (the summer temperature is usually over 85 degrees).