Does it snow in Argentina?

Argentina, the 4^th-largest country by area and the 5^th-most populous in the entire American continent, stands as one of the leading countries in ​​human development in all of Latin America according to the index namesake, seeing itself surpassed only by its neighboring country in the west, Chile.

Argentina is, by far, the largest of all the American countries descended from the Spanish Crown. Not surprisingly, Argentina is also the eighth largest country in the world.

Likewise, Argentina is an exceptionally diverse country in geographical terms, allowing it to host all kinds of species from the animal and plant kingdom, from the black-chested eagle, typical of the aridest regions of the country, to the picturesque Magellanic penguins of Patagonia.

The world's largest continental colony of penguins is in Punta Tombo, Chubut, Argentina. This wildlife reserve, located on the Atlantic coast of southern Argentina, can be home to more than a million penguins during the breeding season.

In short, Argentina is undoubtedly one of the countries with the tremendous diversity of tourist destinations in Latin America, hosting extremely cold regions such as Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, to extensive arid landscapes such as the Quebrada de Humahuaca, which was even declared in 2003 as Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Visit Argentina and enjoy the many tourist attractions that this country offers its visitors. From national parks and reserves such as Quebrada de Humahuaca, Huapi, Iguazú, and Punta Tombo to beautiful and picturesque tourist cities such as Mar de Plata and Buenos Aires.

🇦🇷 Snow in Argentina? ❄

Before answering the central question of this article and the present epigraph, it is essential to highlight some of the most important geographical factors in Argentina and the relationship between these factors concerning the climatological diversity of the country.

In the first place, Argentina has one of the vastest latitudinal developments in the world (22º-55º S). In the same way, its relief is remarkably varied, ranging from the very sea level to the impressive height of 22 841.21 ft that the Cerro de Aconcagua boasts in the Andes Mountains. Finally, the proximity of the coastal region of the country to the South Atlantic Ocean is also remarkable.

Due to the aforementioned meteorological factors, as well as their combination and variation, Argentina exhibits up to 18 different types of climates throughout its territory, exhibiting some climatological variations typical of the country, such as:

• Puno Andean climate Andean Mountains).
• Arid Famatina climate (Sierra de Famatina).
• Los Andes humid climate (Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego).
• Arid Patagonian climate.
• Southern cold-humid climate.
• Polar climate (ET and EF).

Indeed, snow is a common weather phenomenon in those regions where these cold climates predominate. Such is the case in the Argentina regions near Los Andes and Córdoba mountains, where snow is the main tourist attraction.

In short, it does snow in Argentina. Indeed, it not only snows in the Patagonian regions or the highest Andean mountains but also does so in Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost city in Argentina, and the world.

The most outstanding Argentina tourist attractions are Bariloche (Province of Río Negro) and Las Leñas (Province of Mendoza), which stand out thanks to their extensive snowy landscapes and the endless recreational and sports activities that take place there, such as skiing and mountaineering.

The climate of Argentina ⛅

ARGENTINA WEATHER

General characteristics

According to the Köppen climate classification, counting types and subtypes, Argentina exhibits eighteen types of climates throughout its territory, as shown in the following map:

Climates types of Argentina according to Köppen climate classification

Due to such diversity, any general explanation of the characteristics of Argentina’s climate is useless since these aspects will depend exclusively on the prevailing climatological factors in each of the Argentina regions.

Technical characteristics 

Some of the following technical characteristics have been calculated by averaging climatological data for the following cities of Argentina: Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Rosario, Mendoza, Salta, and Ushuaia.

• Climate types (Köppen climate classification):
  • Tropical monsoon (Am).
  • Tropical savanna (Aw).
  • Hot desert (BWh).
  • Cold desert (BWk).
  • Hot semi-arid (BSh).
  • Cold semi-arid (BSk).
  • Warm-summer Mediterranean (Csb).
  • Cold summer Mediterranean (Csc).
  • Dry-winter humid subtropical (Cwa).
  • Dry-winter oceanic (Cwb).
  • Dry-winter cold subtropical highland (Cwc).
  • Humid subtropical (Cfa).
  • Oceanic (Cfb).
  • Warm-summer Mediterranean continental (Dsb).
  • Dry-summer subarctic (Dsc).
  • Subarctic (Dfc).
  • Polar (ET).
  • Ice cap (EF).
• Average maximum temperatures in winter: 60.88 °F (16 °C).
• Average maximum temperatures in spring: 72.71 °F (22.6 °C).
• Average maximum temperatures in fall: 65.71 °F (18.7 °C).
• Average maximum temperatures in summer: 77.54 °F (25.3 °C).
• Average minimum temperatures in winter: 42.63 °F (5.9 °C).
• Average minimum temperatures in spring: 54.08 °F (12.2 °C).
• Average minimum temperatures in fall: 49.63 °F (9.8 °C).
• Average minimum temperatures in summer: 60.63 °F (15.9 °C).
• Rainfall range per year: 90.55 inches / 229.9 cm  (Province of Misiones and Yungas region) – 1.57 inches / 3.9 cm (Puna de Atacama).

When does it snow in Argentina? 🌨

Does it snow in Argentina in April?

Yes, it does! Once autumn begins, it is possible to see some minor snowfalls in Zapala, Esquel, Bariloche, Veintiocho de Noviembre, and Ushuaia.

Note: above the altitude climatic snow limit (19028.87- 20341.21 feet), snowfall begins to appear frequently regardless of the current season. This phenomenon, known as eternal snow, occurs very often in the highest areas of the Andes Mountain range, in northwestern Argentina (west of Jujuy and Salta and northwestern Catamarca) and Cerro General Belgrano, located in the Province of La Rioja.

Does it snow in Argentina in May?

Yes, it does! Without counting the regions of the Sierra Pampeana and the Cordillera de Los Andes that are above the climatic altitude limit of snow, it is possible to see moderate snowfall in the provinces of Neuquén, Chubut, Río Negro, Santa Cruz, and Tierra del Fuego.

Does it snow in Argentina in June?

Yes, it does! The snowiest month of the year in Argentina is June, so it is not surprising that the average snow accumulation easily exceeds one inch in provinces such as Neuquén, Chubut, Río Negro, Santa Cruz, and Tierra del Fuego.

Does it snow in Argentina in July?

Yes, it does! Compared to June, July exhibits almost the same levels of snow accumulation on average in the same provinces.

Does it snow in Argentina in August?

Yes, it does. As of this month, except for those regions above the climatic altitude limit for snow, the chances of seeing snowfall outside the provinces of Neuquén, Chubut, Río Negro, Santa Cruz, and Tierra del Fuego are reduced to the minimum.

Does it snow in Argentina in September?

Yes, it does. However, once the winter ends, the snowfall decreases drastically in the northern provinces of Argentina.

Does it snow in Argentina in October?

Yes, it might snow in October. Although, hopefully, only in the southern provinces and regions above the altitude climatic limit of the snow.

Where does it snow in Argentina? 🌨

Below, we present a map of the territorial division of the state of Argentina in which the distribution of snowfall in the twenty-three provinces that make up the country is roughly exemplified:

1. In this case, the darker the blue color, the higher the average snow accumulation for the county in its snowiest month (June).
2. This map is not an exact definition but rather an approximation of the behavior of snowfall in Argentina since only specific locations are taken into account and not all the cities and towns that make up the country at the time of its creation.
3. For this map, the dark gray color represents the unknown behavior of snowfall in that region.

How much does it snow in Argentina? 🌨

Next, we expose a comparison chart of the average snow accumulation throughout a sliding 31-day period (centered on the day in question) in the twenty-three provinces of Argentina (including the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires):

The numbers shown in the table above represent inches.