| General
Apart from the climatic zones that the country passes through, which invariably dictate the climate in those areas, two other factors influence the weather in Chile. One is the cold, Humboldt current that runs the length of the country from the icy-cold waters of the Antarctic thus keeping the sea temperature cold which, in the summer months, reacts with hot air currents coming off the land which in turn affects rainfall in the mountains and sometimes creates costal fog in the mornings. The second factor is the mountainous terrain of the Andes Mountains, covered in snow for most of the year, as it influences the air currents and ultimately the weather. The Coastal Mountain range will often block clouds from coming inland from the coast during the summer months. Northern Chile
The northern sector of the country begins north of a Serena (474 kms north of Santiago) and runs right up to Arica (2,062 kms north of Santiago). From the border with Peru (Arica) running southwards to La Serena at 30œ S is one of the driest regions in the world. There is a small difference of temperature from summer to winter and the weather is remarkably constant from one day to another. The zone is a typical 'cold-water-coast and hot dry desert' combination where, in spite of being virtually rainless, the weather at the coast is often cloudy and relatively cool for the latitude. Coastal strip weather typically has much fog and frequent light drizzle with rather low amounts of sunshine, however in the summer the costal cloud usually breaks up by midday. Inland the temperatures are higher and there is plenty of sun.
Near the mountains it is common to get rain and snow during summer months! Central Chile (including Santiago)
The central zone of Chile is an area that runs roughly 500 kms north and 300kms south of Santiago, the capital city, roughly between about 32œ and 38œ S. In this zone the climate is Mediterranean - long (5 months), hot and dry summers with little rain; short, cool and changeable winter weather with snow on the mountains. Santiago's climate enjoys spectacularly good summers due to its altitude (543 mts - 800 mts), the costal-range mountains keeping the costal clouds away.
Lake Region
The northern part of the lake district begins at Temuco (677 kms south of Santiago) and tails off at Puerto Montt (1,016 kms south of Santiago). In this zone, the weather patterns are warm- temperate with "normal" length (3 months), warm and sometimes hot summers, often with rain showers, however the temperature does cool off the further south you travel i.e. towards Puerto Montt. Winter weather is usually wet, cold and changeable with snow on the mountains.
Patagonian Region
Chilean Patagonia begins at Chaiten (approximately 1,300 kms south of Santiago) and runs south to Punta Arenas (3,090 kms south of Santiago), beyond which is Tierra del Fuego - the southern tip of the continent. It includes the famous Torres del Paine National Park. The weather in this area is cold-temperate with long, cold and wet winters and short, cool, often rainy summers, always unpredictable and often windy. The climate of Punta Arenas is exceptional in having a very low annual rainfall because it is sheltered from the wet, westerly winds by the southern Andes. |
