El Calafate records about 150mm of rain across roughly 30 wet days a year, which is a 8% chance on an average day. April is the wettest month at 16mm (11% of the annual total) and February the driest at 8mm. Local rain type: drizzle. El Calafate is Patagonian dry — the challenge is wind, not rain. The steppe landscape receives little precipitation year-round.
Chance of rain on an average day: 8%
Rainfall climatology for El Calafate. 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 | 150mm |
| Rain days per year | 30 |
| Odds on an average day | 8% |
| Wettest month | April — 16mm over 4 days |
| Driest month | February — 8mm over 2 days |
| Rain type | drizzle |
| Best dry window | December through March offers the warmest conditions for glacier viewing. |
| Worst rain window | June through August brings cold, dark winter — but fewer tourists at Perito Moreno Glacier. |
April delivers 100% more rain than February (16mm vs 8mm). That gap is the difference between planning around showers and ignoring them.
No single month holds more than 11% of the annual total, so rain in El Calafate is spread through the year — there is no season you can rely on being dry.
El Calafate rain is mostly persistent drizzle, where a waterproof shell beats an umbrella.
Rain falls on about 4 days in April against 2 in February — 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 | 10mm | 2 | 7% | 18°C |
| February | 8mm | 2 | 7% | 18°C |
| March | 12mm | 3 | 10% | 16°C |
| April | 16mm | 4 | 13% | 12°C |
| May | 15mm | 3 | 10% | 9°C |
| June | 12mm | 3 | 10% | 5°C |
| July | 10mm | 2 | 7% | 3°C |
| August | 8mm | 2 | 7% | 3°C |
| September | 8mm | 2 | 7% | 5°C |
| October | 8mm | 2 | 7% | 9°C |
| November | 10mm | 2 | 7% | 12°C |
| December | 12mm | 3 | 10% | 16°C |
Rain probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm falls at your location — not how long it rains. For El Calafate 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.
El Calafate records rain on roughly 30 days a year — about a 8% chance on any given day — totalling around 150mm.
April, with about 16mm over 4 rain days. That is 11% of the entire year's rainfall in a single month.
February is the driest month at 8mm across roughly 2 days. December through March offers the warmest conditions for glacier viewing.
El Calafate is Patagonian dry — the challenge is wind, not rain. The steppe landscape receives little precipitation year-round.
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.