How is the weather in Atacama Desert?
How is the weather in Atacama Desert?
The climate is magnificent throughout the year, with more than 90% of the days being radiant. In winter (June, July and August) the average daytime temperature is 22°C (72°F) and by night 4°C (39°F), descending to -2°C (28°F) in extreme cases; days are very pleasant, inviting you to lay in the sun’s corridors.
Does it snow in the Atacama?
The Atacama Desert has been experiencing an unusual amount of snow. The Atacama averages just 2 inches of precipitation a year; there are regions in the Atacama that have never seen a drop of recorded rain. The desert stretches roughly 600 miles from Peru’s southern border into northern Chile.
What is Atacama Desert famous for?
The Atacama Desert is the driest nonpolar desert in the world, as well as the only true desert to receive less precipitation than the polar deserts and the largest fog desert in the world. Both regions have been used as experimentation sites on Earth for Mars expedition simulations.
What is the best time of year to go to Chile?
The best time to visit Chile depends on the region you’re traveling to. October to March are the warmest and most accessible months for visitors heading to Patagonia, in the south of the country. This is summer in the Southern Hemisphere and the weather is very pleasant, with warm temperatures of around 72°F.
What happened in the Atacama desert in July 2011?
On July 7th, a cold front brought the heaviest snowfall in nearly two decades to what is considered one of the driest places on Earth. Up to 32 inches (80 cm) of snow fell in parts of the Atacama desert in northern Chile, according to the Chilean Directorate of Meteorology.
How often does it snow in the Atacama desert?
The desert will see a rainfall event every two or three years, but usually in June or July. For snow to fall this late in August is extremely rare. “This does not occur yearly. Maybe a relatively important snowfall like the one today can happen every two or three years.
