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Climate of Chile
Home » Chile » Chile Overview and History » Climate of ChileThe climate of Chile is as varied as its geography. The Andes Mountains and the Atacma Desert experience extreme climatic conditions. The rest of the country, however, encounters a comfortable moderate climate.
Much of Chile has a mountain climate with perpetual snow and glaciers, due to its extensive coverage by the Andes. The snowline is high in the northern mountains because the precipitation in this area is light. As the north of Chile is primarily desert, the majority of the population live in the lowlands of Central Chile. The southern part of Chile is rugged and heavily forested with a cool wet variable climate.
In the desert of northern Chile, it is almost rainless. The weather is customarily cool and cloudy with annual average rainfall totals being as low as 14 mm. In March, the average daily maximum temperatures spans from 63° F in July to 82° F.
The central part of Chile experiences a Mediterranean climate with warm and nearly rainless summers, while the winters are fairly wet although still mild. It is not impossible for snow and frost to appear inland, though it is very uncommon on the coast.
Southern Chile experiences repeated, variable weather, and it is typically wet in this region all year round. Annual rainfall can be as high as 5000 mm, and often results in snow on the higher mountains. The coast of Chile hardly ever reaches considerably cold temperatures in the winter, but summers are cloudy and cool.
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