AI-generatedEl Calafate at a glance
- Best time
- Dec – Feb
- Warmest month
- Feb · 15°
- Sunshine a year
- 2,360 h
- Rain a year
- 699 mm
- Climate
- Maritime
- Time zone
- UTC−3
- Elevation
- 205 m
Climate in El Calafate
El Calafate has a maritime climate with moderate summers and cool, often grey winters. February is the warmest month with average highs of 15 °C, while July is the coolest at 2 °C. With around 2,360 hours of sunshine a year, El Calafate is sunny; January is the sunniest month with 9.3 hours a day.
Holiday weather through the year
Weather in October
Holiday weather in October
Poor
Best time to visit: December – February
Keep in mindSnow
A typical day in October
- Morning, 08:00: about 3°
- Midday, 13:00: about 7°
- Afternoon, 16:00: about 8°
- Evening, 20:00: about 6°
- Night, 23:00: about 4°
06:4920:20
Cold evenings: bring a warm jacket.
Estimated from the average high and low: coolest around sunrise, warmest in mid-afternoon.
Light for photos in October
- Golden hour
- Morning 06:29–07:33 · evening 19:37–20:41
- Blue hour
- Morning 06:15–06:29 · evening 20:41–20:54
Golden hour: the sun between 4° below and 6° above the horizon; blue hour: 6° to 4° below it. Times for the 15th of the month; mountains and clouds shift the light.
What is the weather like in El Calafate in October?
In October, El Calafate is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C, and nights cool down to about 2 °C. The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 57 mm in total. Snow falls on about 3 days. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in El Calafate.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 13 h 31 min06:49 – 20:20
- UV index
- 5 · moderateclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 15 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 58 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Snow days
- 3 days1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
- Time zone
- UTC−3America/Argentina/Rio_Gallegos
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %78 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %59 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Nature escape”.
What to pack in October
- Sunscreen
- Warm jacket
- Hat, scarf & gloves
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Sunshine hours in El Calafate
Average hours of bright sunshine per day, next to the length of the day. Tap a month to select it.
In October, the sun shines for about 7.7 of 13.5 hours of daylight in El Calafate, 57 % of the day.
Sunshine hours: measured at the weather station 17 km away, averages 1991–2020 (WMO climate normals). Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.
UV index in El Calafate
How strong the sun is at noon, month by month, and how quickly unprotected skin burns.
- Clear-sky UV in October
- 5 · moderateAround midday seek shade; use sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses.
The sun is strongest in December (UV 8).
Minutes until sunburn in October
- Very fair skin
- about 25 min
- Fair skin
- about 35 min
- Light brown skin
- about 45 min
- Olive skin
- about 60 min
Rough guide for unprotected skin at noon under a clear sky; clouds lengthen it, water, sand and snow shorten it. Sunscreen extends the time only partly.
Monthly values: clear-sky noon estimate from the sun's angle, ozone and altitude. UV today: Open-Meteo forecast.
Rain in El Calafate: rainy days and rainfall
A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain or snow; the amount is what falls in the whole month. Tap a month to select it.
In October, El Calafate has about 10 rainy days with 57 mm of rain in total.
Wind and clouds in El Calafate
How breezy and how cloudy El Calafate is through the year. Tap a month to select it on the whole page.
Wind
Typical daily peak of the wind in km/h: what the afternoon breeze usually reaches, not the gusts.
In October, the wind in El Calafate typically peaks at 15 km/h during the day: Beaufort 3, light breeze.
Clouds
Average share of the sky covered by cloud, day and night.
In October, cloud covers on average 58 % of the sky over El Calafate: variable cloud, with about 7.7 hours of sunshine a day.
Wind: mean daily maximum of the hourly wind 10 m above ground (ERA5, 1996–2025). Gusts are stronger, and the model grid of about 28 km smooths out local effects such as capes and valley winds. Clouds: mean total cloud cover of all layers over day and night (ERA5, 1996–2025). Thin high cloud counts as cover even when the sun still shines through.
Snow in El Calafate
When El Calafate is likely to be white: the chance of seeing snow during a week's stay, the days with fresh snow and how much falls. Tap a month to select it.
Snow calendar
- hardly any
- possible
- likely
- very likely
In October, El Calafate has about 3 days with at least 1 cm of fresh snow, 10 cm in total. The chance of seeing snow during a week's stay is 31 out of 100: possible.
Snow days bring at least 1 cm of fresh snow. Fresh snow comes from ERA5 snowfall (1996–2025) at the height of the place, not on the slopes above it; the snow chance also weighs whether the snow settles. An estimate from climate averages, not a snow report.
Climate through the year
Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.
Nights and sleep in El Calafate
How warm the nights get in each month, from the mean night-time low. Tap a month for details.
- Frost below 0°
- Cold 0–8°
- Cool 8–15°
ColdOctober: nights around 2°. The room should be heated.
The coolest nights are in July (−1°), the warmest in February (8°). Nights fall below 8 °C on average from March to December, so the room should be heated.
Temperatures through the year
Average daytime high, night-time low and sea temperature per month.
| Month | Score | Day | Night | Sun | Rain days | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 67 | 14° | 8° | 9.3 h | 12 | 56 |
| FebruaryFeb | 71 | 15° | 8° | 8.5 h | 10 | 61 |
| MarchMar | 48 | 12° | 7° | 6.9 h | 13 | 68 |
| AprilApr | 25 | 9° | 4° | 5.7 h | 13 | 74 |
| MayMay | 14 | 5° | 2° | 3.8 h | 13 | 66 |
| JuneJun | 16 | 2° | −1° | 3.1 h | 11 | 53 |
| JulyJul | 17 | 2° | −1° | 3.5 h | 11 | 57 |
| AugustAug | 20 | 3° | −1° | 4.8 h | 11 | 55 |
| SeptemberSep | 30 | 5° | 1° | 6.4 h | 9 | 47 |
| OctoberOct | 33 | 8° | 2° | 7.7 h | 10 | 57 |
| NovemberNov | 51 | 11° | 4° | 9.2 h | 11 | 51 |
| DecemberDec | 61 | 13° | 6° | 8.8 h | 11 | 55 |
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences
50.34° S, 72.28° W · 205 m · America/Argentina/Rio_Gallegos
Best time to visit El Calafate
The best time to visit El Calafate is from December to February. Rain is most frequent in January and from March to May; the wettest month is April with 74 mm.
El Calafate through the seasons
How the weather changes over the seasons, with averages for each.
El Calafate in spring
Sep – Nov
Poor
- 5–11 °C by day
- 8 h of sun a day
- 30 rainy days in all
El Calafate in summer
Dec – Feb
Good
- 13–15 °C by day
- 9 h of sun a day
- 34 rainy days in all
El Calafate in autumn
Mar – May
Poor
- 5–12 °C by day
- 6 h of sun a day
- 38 rainy days in all
El Calafate in winter
Jun – Aug
Poor
- 2–3 °C by day
- 4 h of sun a day
- 33 rainy days in all
Find your perfect month
Tell us what you like and we rate every month in El Calafate for you.
Your best months: January – February
Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.
Compare two months in El Calafate
Pick two months to see how the weather differs. A tick marks the clearly better value; for temperatures it depends on your plans.
February has the better holiday weather in El Calafate: score 71 against 33. In February, days are 7 °C warmer than in October. The sun shines an hour longer a day in February.
| Month | October | February |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 33 | 71better |
| Day high | 8° | 15° |
| Night low | 2° | 8° |
| Sunshine | 7.7 h | 8.5 hbetter |
| Rainy days | 10 | 10 |
| Rainfall | 57 mm | 61 mm |
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Which month for what?
Beach & swimming
No sea nearby
Sea from 21 °C, warm and mostly dry
Sightseeing & hiking
No month
15–28 °C and not too much rain
Rainy months
Jan, Mar – May
12 or more rainy days
Snow
Apr – Oct
Snow on 2 or more days
El Calafate month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
67January14° · 9 h
In January, El Calafate is cool: daytime highs average 14 °C, and nights cool down to about 8 °C. With around 9 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 56 mm in total. All in all, January is a good month for a holiday in El Calafate.
El Calafate in January71February15° · 9 h
In February, El Calafate is cool: daytime highs average 15 °C, and nights cool down to about 8 °C. The sun shines for around 9 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 61 mm in total. All in all, February is a good month for a holiday in El Calafate.
El Calafate in February48March12° · 7 h
In March, El Calafate is cool: daytime highs average 12 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 68 mm in total. All in all, March is a so-so month for a holiday in El Calafate.
El Calafate in March25April9° · 6 h
In April, El Calafate is cold: daytime highs average 9 °C, and nights cool down to about 4 °C. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 74 mm in total. Snow falls on about 2 days. All in all, April is not an ideal month for a holiday in El Calafate.
El Calafate in April14May5° · 4 h
In May, El Calafate is cold: daytime highs average 5 °C, and nights cool down to about 2 °C. The sun is scarce, with only about 4 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 66 mm in total. Snow falls on about 4 days. All in all, May is not an ideal month for a holiday in El Calafate.
El Calafate in May16June2° · 3 h
In June, El Calafate is freezing cold: daytime highs average 2 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−1 °C). The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 11 days, totalling 53 mm. Snow falls on about 6 days. All in all, June is not an ideal month for a holiday in El Calafate.
El Calafate in June17July2° · 4 h
In July, El Calafate is freezing cold: daytime highs average 2 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−1 °C). The sun is scarce, with only about 4 hours a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 11 days, totalling 57 mm. Snow falls on about 6 days. All in all, July is not an ideal month for a holiday in El Calafate.
El Calafate in July20August3° · 5 h
In August, El Calafate is freezing cold: daytime highs average 3 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−1 °C). Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 11 days, totalling 55 mm. Snow falls on about 6 days. All in all, August is not an ideal month for a holiday in El Calafate.
El Calafate in August30September5° · 6 h
In September, El Calafate is cold: daytime highs average 5 °C, and nights cool down to about 1 °C. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 9 rainy days and 47 mm in total. Snow falls on about 4 days. All in all, September is not an ideal month for a holiday in El Calafate.
El Calafate in September33October8° · 8 h
In October, El Calafate is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C, and nights cool down to about 2 °C. The sun shines for around 8 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 57 mm in total. Snow falls on about 3 days. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in El Calafate.
El Calafate in October51November11° · 9 h
In November, El Calafate is cool: daytime highs average 11 °C, and nights cool down to about 4 °C. With around 9 hours of sunshine a day, there is plenty of sun. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 51 mm in total. All in all, November is a so-so month for a holiday in El Calafate.
El Calafate in November61December13° · 9 h
In December, El Calafate is cool: daytime highs average 13 °C, and nights cool down to about 6 °C. The sun shines for around 9 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 55 mm in total. All in all, December is a good month for a holiday in El Calafate.
El Calafate in DecemberEl Calafate compared
Put El Calafate side by side with another destination.
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El Calafate vs. Punta Arenas
In October El Calafate has the better holiday weather (score 33 vs. 27). During the day Punta Arenas is 1 °C warmer than El Calafate. Punta Arenas gets one hour less sunshine a day.
| in October | El Calafate | Punta Arenas |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday score | 33 | 27 |
| Daytime high | 8° | 9° |
| Sea | – | 6° |
| Sunshine | 8 h | 7 h |
| Rainy days | 10 | 14 |
| Best time | Dec – Feb | Sep – Feb |
Through the year
Argentina in October: the best places
In October, El Calafate ranks 9 of 10 destinations in this country.
- Mendoza23°89
- 2Córdoba24°87
- 3La Plata20°83
- 4Buenos Aires21°19°83
- 5Rosario24°83
- 6Villa General Belgrano22°81
- 7Mar del Plata18°13°75
- 8Bariloche11°49
- 9El CalafateThis page8°33
Planning a trip to El Calafate
Weather for your travel dates
Pick your arrival and length of stay, and we sum up the weather to expect.
El Calafate in the school holidays
How the weather suits the usual holiday periods. Dates vary by school and region, so each holiday uses the months it usually falls in.
El Calafate has its best school-holiday weather during the Christmas holidays (score 64) and its weakest during May half-term (score 14).
- 32
Easter holidays
Mar – Apr
Poor
- 10 °C by day
- 6.1 h of sun a day
- 13 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain, Snow
- 14
May half-term
May – Jun
Poor
- 4 °C by day
- 3.7 h of sun a day
- 12 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain, Snow
- 19
Summer holidays
Jul – Aug
Poor
- 3 °C by day
- 4.3 h of sun a day
- 11 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Snow
- 33
October half-term
Oct
Poor
- 8 °C by day
- 7.7 h of sun a day
- 10 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Snow
- 64
Christmas holidays
Dec – Jan
GoodBest holidays
- 14 °C by day
- 9.1 h of sun a day
- 12 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Getting there
Flying from
- Nonstop flight
- about 16 h 25 min
- Distance
- 13,180 km
- Time zone
- UTC−3
- Jet lag
- About 3 days (4 h west)
Rule of thumb for flying west: for a few days before, stay up a little later, and get afternoon and evening light at your destination.
Most routes need a change of planes, which adds time.
Estimated from the straight-line distance: 30 minutes for take-off and landing plus 830 km/h cruising speed.
Frequently asked questions about El Calafate
When is the best time to visit El Calafate?
The best time to visit El Calafate is from December to February. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.
What is the warmest month in El Calafate?
February is the warmest month, with average highs of 15 °C and nights around 8 °C. July is the coolest month at 2 °C.
When does it rain most in El Calafate?
Rain is most frequent in January and from March to May; the wettest month is April with 74 mm. The driest month is September with 47 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does El Calafate get?
El Calafate gets around 2,360 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is January with 9.3 hours a day; in June there are 3.1 hours a day.
What time zone is El Calafate in?
El Calafate uses the time zone America/Argentina/Rio_Gallegos, at UTC−3 all year.
How long is the flight from London to El Calafate?
A nonstop flight from London to El Calafate takes about 16 h 25 min, for a straight-line distance of about 13,180 km. Most routes need a change of planes, which adds time.
Which school holidays are best for El Calafate?
El Calafate has its best school-holiday weather during the Christmas holidays (score 64) and its weakest during May half-term (score 14). Holiday ratings (0–100): Easter holidays 32, May half-term 14, Summer holidays 19, October half-term 33, Christmas holidays 64.
Near El Calafate
Other destinations close by.
Places with a climate like El Calafate
Destinations whose weather through the year is closest to El Calafate's – good alternatives.