Atacama records about 15mm of rain across roughly 3 wet days a year, which is a 1% chance on an average day. December is the wettest month at 0mm (0% of the annual total) and January the driest at 0mm. Local rain type: brief showers. The Atacama Desert is the driest non-polar desert on Earth. Some weather stations have NEVER recorded rainfall. Rain gear is completely unnecessary.
Chance of rain on an average day: 1%
Rainfall climatology for Atacama. The live hour-by-hour answer for today loads at the top of this page from Open-Meteo and refreshes through the day — the figures below describe a typical year, not today.
Last updated: · Live forecast data refreshes hourly.
| Annual rainfall | 15mm |
| Rain days per year | 3 |
| Odds on an average day | 1% |
| Wettest month | December — 0mm over 2 days |
| Driest month | January — 0mm over 5 days |
| Rain type | brief showers |
| Best dry window | Year-round dry conditions — any time is suitable weather-wise. |
| Worst rain window | There is no "worst rain window" — the Atacama simply does not receive meaningful rain. |
December delivers 0% more rain than January (0mm vs 0mm). That gap is the difference between planning around showers and ignoring them.
No single month holds more than 0% of the annual total, so rain in Atacama is spread through the year — there is no season you can rely on being dry.
Atacama rain typically comes as discrete showers, so a compact umbrella and a flexible plan are usually enough.
Rain falls on about 2 days in December against 5 in January — the frequency swing matters more for planning than the millimetre totals.
Climate normals. Use them to judge whether today's live forecast at the top of the page is typical or unusual for the season.
| Month | Rainfall | Rain days | Chance on a given day | Highs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0mm | 5 | 17% | 27°C |
| February | 0mm | 2 | 7% | 27°C |
| March | 0mm | 2 | 7% | 26°C |
| April | 0mm | 3 | 10% | 24°C |
| May | 0mm | 4 | 13% | 21°C |
| June | 0mm | 5 | 17% | 19°C |
| July | 0mm | 5 | 17% | 18°C |
| August | 0mm | 5 | 17% | 18°C |
| September | 0mm | 5 | 17% | 19°C |
| October | 0mm | 4 | 13% | 21°C |
| November | 0mm | 3 | 10% | 24°C |
| December | 0mm | 2 | 7% | 26°C |
Rain probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm falls at your location — not how long it rains. For Atacama we combine the hourly probability curve, expected volume in millimetres, and the city's own rainfall record into a single umbrella verdict.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly probability | 40% | Peak and sustained chance of measurable rain across the next 24 hours. |
| Expected volume | 30% | Total millimetres, which separates a passing shower from a genuine soaking. |
| Timing & duration | 20% | When rain starts, when it eases, and the longest continuous dry window. |
| Local rain type | 10% | Drizzle, brief showers, thunderstorms or monsoon — each needs different gear. |
Live hourly values come from Open-Meteo and refresh through the day. Monthly rainfall figures are climate normals, so they describe a typical year rather than a forecast.
Atacama records rain on roughly 3 days a year — about a 1% chance on any given day — totalling around 15mm.
December, with about 0mm over 2 rain days. That is 0% of the entire year's rainfall in a single month.
January is the driest month at 0mm across roughly 5 days. Year-round dry conditions — any time is suitable weather-wise.
The Atacama Desert is the driest non-polar desert on Earth. Some weather stations have NEVER recorded rainfall. Rain gear is completely unnecessary.
No. Probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm of rain falls at your location at some point in the period. Check the expected millimetres alongside it: 40% with 0.4mm is a passing shower, 40% with 12mm is a soaking.