Climate of Chile

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The climate of Chile comprises a wide range of weather conditions across a large geographic scale, extending across 38 degrees in latitude, making generalisations difficult. According to the Köppen system, Chile within its borders hosts at least seven major climatic subtypes, ranging from desert in the north, to alpine tundra and glaciers in the east and southeast, humid subtropical in Easter Island, Oceanic in the south and mediterranean climate in central Chile. There are four seasons in most of the country: summer (December to February), autumn (March to May), winter (June to August), and spring (September to November).

On a synoptic scale the most important factors that controls the climate in Chile are the Pacific Anticyclone, the southern circumpolar low pressure area, the cold Humboldt current, the Chilean Coast Range and the Andes Mountains. Despite Chile's narrowness, some interior regions may experience wide temperature oscillations and cities such as San Pedro de Atacama, may even experience a continental climate. In the extreme northeast and southeast the border of Chile extends beyond the Andes into the Altiplano and the Patagonian plains, giving these regions climate patterns similar to those seen in Bolivia and Argentina respectively.

Contents 1 Regions 1.1 Alpine 1.2 Dry arid 1.3 Mediterranean 1.4 Temperate oceanic 1.5 Subpolar oceanic 2 Climate charts for different locations of Chile 3 See also 4 Sources 5 References

[edit] Regions

Climate	Ecoregion	Natural region
Desert (BWh, BWk)	Atacama desert	Norte Grande
Semi-arid (BWk, BSk, Csa)	Atacama desert, Chilean matorral	Norte Chico
Mediterranean (Csa, Csb)	Chilean matorral	Central Chile
Humid subtropical (Cfa)	Easter Island, Fernandezian Region	-
Temperate oceanic (Cfb)	Valdivian temperate rainforests	Zona Sur, Zona Austral
Subpolar oceanic (Cfc)	Magellanic subpolar forests	Zona Austral
Semi-arid (BSk)	Patagonian Desert	Zona Austral
Alpine	Andes, Central Andean dry puna	all natural regions of Chile
Tundra (ET)	Andes, Central Andean dry puna	all natural regions of Chile
Ice cap (EF)	Northern Patagonian Ice Field, Southern Patagonian Ice Field	Zona Austral

[edit] Alpine

The valley and ranges of the Andes allows a huge variety of micro climates to develop. The climate in the Andes combine aspects of adjacent climate zones forming transition zones. The Andes mountains can be divided in two climatic subregions; the Dry Andes and the Wet Andes.

[edit] Dry arid

See also: Atacama Desert

The Atacama Desert is the driest non-Arctic place on Earth, and is virtually sterile because it is blocked from moisture on both sides by the Andes mountains and by the Chilean Coast Range. The cold Humboldt Current and the Pacific Anticyclone are essential to keep the dry climate of Atacama Desert. The average rainfall in the Chilean region of Antofagasta is just 1 mm per year. Some weather stations in the Atacama have never received rain. Evidence suggests that the Atacama may not have had any significant rainfall from 1570 to 1971.^[1] It is so arid that mountains that reach as high as 6,885 metres (22,590 feet) are completely free of glaciers and, in the southern part from 25°S to 27°S, may have been glacier-free throughout the Quaternary — though permafrost extends down to an altitude of 4,400 metres and is continuous above 5,600 metres. Studies by a group of British scientists have suggested that some river beds have been dry for 120,000 years.

Some locations in the Atacama do receive a marine fog known locally as the Camanchaca, providing sufficient moisture for hypolithic algae, lichens and even some cacti. But in the region that is in the "fog shadow" of the high coastal crest-line, which averages 3,000 m height for about 100 km south of Antofagasta, the soil has been compared to that of Mars.

[edit] Mediterranean

The climate of Central Chile is of temperate Mediterranean type, with the amount of rainfall increasing considerably and progressively from north to south. In the Santiago area, the average monthly temperatures are about 19.5 °C in the summer months of January and February and 7.5 °C in the winter months of June and July. The average monthly precipitation is no more than a trace in January and February and 69.7 millimeters in June and July. By contrast, in Concepción the average monthly temperatures are somewhat lower in the summer at 17.6 °C but higher in the winter at 9.3 °C, and the amount of rain is much greater. In the summer, Concepción receives an average of twenty millimeters of rain per month; in June and July, the city is pounded by an average of 253 millimeters per month. The numerous rivers greatly increase their flow as a result of the winter rains and the spring melting of the Andean snows, and they contract considerably in the summer. The combination of abundant snow in the Andes and relatively moderate winter temperatures creates excellent conditions for Alpine skiing.

[edit] Temperate oceanic

See also: Climate of Valdivia

In Zona Sur and the northern part of Zona Austral the climate is Temperate oceanic. Here the Andean Cordillera intercepts moist westerly winds along the Pacific coast during winter and summer months; these winds cool as they ascend the mountains, creating heavy rainfall on the mountains' west-facing slopes. The northward-flowing oceanic Humboldt Current creates humid and foggy conditions near the coast. The tree line is at about 2,400 m in the northern part of the ecoregion (35° S), and descends to 1,000 m in the south of the Valdivian region. In the summer average temperature can climb to 16.5° C (62° F), while during winter the temperature can drop below 7° C (45° F).^[2]

[edit] Subpolar oceanic

The seasonal temperature in Zona Austral is greatly moderated by its proximity to the ocean and is known for stable constant temperatures, only small variability with season. The rainfalls goes between April and May and snow season goes all through Chilean winter (June till September), although the average temperature does not descend below the 1°C in coatal areas^[3].

[edit] Climate charts for different locations of Chile

Climate chart for Iquique
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0   25 18	0   25 18	0   24 17	0   22 15	0.2   20 14	0.1   19 14	0   18 13	0   18 13	0   19 14	0   20 15	0   22 15	0.2   24 17
average temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm source: [1]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0   77 64     0   77 64     0   75 62     0   72 59     0   69 57     0   66 56     0   64 56     0   65 56     0   66 57     0   68 58     0   71 60     0   74 62 average temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches

Climate chart for Antofagasta
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0   24 17	0   24 17	0   23 16	0   21 14	0   19 13	3   18 11	5   17 11	3   17 11	0   18 12	3   19 13	0   21 14	0   22 16
average temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm source: [2]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0   75 63     0   75 63     0   73 61     0   70 57     0   66 55     0.1   64 52     0.2   63 52     0.1   63 52     0   64 54     0.1   66 55     0   70 57     0   72 61 average temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches

Climate chart for Copiapó
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0.1   29 14	0   29 14	0.4   28 12	0.6   25 9	0.2   22 7	1.4   21 5	5.2   21 5	2.2   22 7	0.4   24 8	0.7   26 10	0   27 12	0   29 13
average temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm source: [3][4]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0   85 58     0   85 58     0   82 54     0   77 49     0   71 45     0.1   69 41     0.2   69 41     0.1   72 44     0   76 46     0   79 50     0   80 53     0   84 55 average temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches

Climate chart for Santiago
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
0   29 12	3   29 12	5   27 9	13   22 7	58   18 5	79   14 3	76   14 3	53   16 4	28   18 6	13   22 7	5   25 9	5   28 11
average temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm source: [5]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0   84 54     0.1   84 54     0.2   81 48     0.5   72 45     2.3   64 41     3.1   57 37     3   57 37     2.1   61 39     1.1   64 43     0.5   72 45     0.2   77 48     0.2   82 52 average temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches

Climate chart for Linares
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
15   30 12	11   29 12	23   25 9	55   21 6	186   16 6	211   12 5	160   12 3	127   14 4	68   17 5	49   20 7	29   24 9	16   28 12
average temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm source: [6][7]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.6   86 54     0.4   84 54     0.9   77 48     2.2   70 43     7.3   61 43     8.3   54 41     6.3   54 37     5   57 39     2.7   63 41     1.9   68 45     1.1   75 48     0.6   82 54 average temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches

Climate chart for Concepción
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
21   21 10	15   21 10	20   19 9	56   17 7	178   14 7	218   13 6	222   12 4	153   13 5	88   14 6	65   16 7	41   18 8	28   20 9
average temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm source: [8][9]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     0.8   70 50     0.6   70 50     0.8   66 48     2.2   63 45     7   57 45     8.6   55 43     8.7   54 39     6   55 41     3.5   57 43     2.6   61 45     1.6   64 46     1.1   68 48 average temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches

Climate chart for Valdivia
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
66   23 11	74   23 11	132   21 9	234   17 8	361   13 6	550   11 6	394   11 5	328   12 4	208   14 5	127   17 7	125   18 8	104   21 10
average temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm source: [10]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     2.6   73 52     2.9   73 52     5.2   70 48     9.2   63 46     14   55 43     22   52 43     16   52 41     13   54 39     8.2   57 41     5   63 45     4.9   64 46     4.1   70 50 average temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches

Climate chart for Puerto Montt
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
90   20 9	93   19 9	99   18 8	143   15 7	234   13 6	224   11 4	229   10 4	209   11 4	146   13 4	121   14 6	112   17 7	103   19 9
average temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm source: [11]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     3.5   67 49     3.7   67 48     3.9   64 46     5.6   59 44     9.2   55 43     8.8   51 39     9   51 39     8.2   52 39     5.7   55 40     4.8   58 42     4.4   62 45     4.1   65 47 average temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches

Climate chart for Aisén
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
190   18 8	190   17 8	210   15 7	190   12 5	370   9 3	260   7 1	280   6 1	280   8 1	160   10 2	190   12 5	170   14 6	200   16 8
average temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm source: [12]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     7.5   64 46     7.5   63 46     8.3   59 45     7.5   54 41     15   48 37     10   45 34     11   43 34     11   46 34     6.3   50 36     7.5   54 41     6.7   57 43     7.9   61 46 average temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches

Climate chart for Balmaceda
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
28   17 7	21   17 7	37   15 5	52   11 2	89   7 1	84   3 -1	84   3 -1	68   6 1	45   8 1	29   11 3	28   13 5	33   16 6
average temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm source: [13]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     1.1   63 45     0.8   63 45     1.5   59 41     2   52 36     3.5   45 34     3.3   37 30     3.3   37 30     2.7   43 34     1.8   46 34     1.1   52 37     1.1   55 41     1.3   61 43 average temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches

Climate chart for Punta Arenas
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
38   14 7	23   14 7	33   12 5	36   10 4	33   7 2	41   5 1	28   4 -1	31   6 1	23   8 2	28   11 3	18   12 4	36   14 6
average temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm source: [14]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     1.5   57 45     0.9   57 45     1.3   54 41     1.4   50 39     1.3   45 36     1.6   41 34     1.1   39 30     1.2   43 34     0.9   46 36     1.1   52 37     0.7   54 39     1.4   57 43 average temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches

Climate chart for Easter Island
J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
92   26 21	87   26 21	86   26 21	118   24 20	128   23 19	102   21 18	94   20 17	86   20 16	84   21 17	73   21 17	80   23 18	92   24 19
average temperatures in °C precipitation totals in mm source: [15][16]
Imperial conversion J F M A M J J A S O N D     3.6   79 70     3.4   79 70     3.4   79 70     4.6   75 68     5   73 66     4   70 64     3.7   68 63     3.4   68 61     3.3   70 63     2.9   70 63     3.1   73 64     3.6   75 66 average temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches

[edit] See also

• Agriculture in Chile
• Geography of Chile
• Geology of Chile
• Glaciers of Chile
• Natural regions of Chile

[edit] Sources

• Atmosfera.cl - Clima de Chile

[edit] References

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