Climatic map of the Province of Santa Cruz, Argentina
Climatic map of the Province of Santa Cruz, Argentina.
The Andes block most of the incoming frontal systems and as a result, most of the rainfall occurs in the western side of the mountains, with precipitation rapidly decreasing eastward. As a result, except for the westernmost parts of the province where precipitation is abundant and under more influence from the Pacific, much of the province is dry. Unlike the Northern Hemisphere where there are large land masses to allow cold temperatures, cold fronts, which usually originate from the southwest and move northeast are moderated by the Pacific Ocean, resulting in less intense cold temperatures. Similar to much of Patagonia, the climate of the province is characterized by strong westerlies, which also enhances evapotranspiration. In general, the southern parts of the province are colder than the north.
The Andes block most of the incoming frontal systems and as a result, most of the rainfall occurs in the western side of the mountains, with precipitation rapidly decreasing eastward. As a result, except for the westernmost parts of the province where precipitation is abundant and under more influence from the Pacific, much of the province is dry. Unlike the Northern Hemisphere where there are large land masses to allow cold temperatures, cold fronts, which usually originate from the southwest and move northeast are moderated by the Pacific Ocean, resulting in less intense cold temperatures. Similar to much of Patagonia, the climate of the province is characterized by strong westerlies, which also enhances evapotranspiration. In general, the southern parts of the province are colder than the north.
Temperatures:
- The mean temperatures for the province are relatively cold for its latitude due to the cold Falkland Current. The extreme northeast coast is by far the mildest area, with annual temperatures around 8 to 9 °C with temperatures inland being slightly 1 °C to 2 °C lower. The coldest temperatures are found in the southern parts of the province with an annual mean of 6 °C although in the western parts of the province which are at higher altitudes, the mean can be below 5 °C and even below 0 °C at the highest elevations. In the summer, mean temperatures range from 16 °C in the North to around 12 °C in the south. However, temperatures can reach up to 35 °C in all parts of the province except at the highest elevations. Winters are cold throughout the province, with more uniform temperatures than during the summer; July temperatures average 4 °C in the North to 2 °C in the southern parts. Temperatures can plummet below 20 °C in the interior while at the coast, it infrequently drops below 15 °C.
Precipitation:
- Owing to the Andes, they block most of the incoming frontal systems and as a result, most of the rainfall occurs in the western side of the Andes, in which precipitation rapidly decreases eastward. Much of the province receives less than 200 millimetres of precipitation a year while in the Andean region which is under more influence from the Pacific, it can receive more than 1,000 millimetres. Precipitation mainly falls in the form of light rain with heavy rain and thunderstorms being rare, with these two only occurring during the summer. In all parts of the province, more precipitation occurs in the winter than in the summer.
Wind:
- The prevalent wind directions are from the west, southwest and northwest and together, these occur 60% of the time. Northern parts of the province tend to have more northwest winds than the southern parts of the province. With few landmasses south of 46°S, the province is dominated by strong winds throughout the year. Summers are windier than winters. The strongest winds are found in the Andean region while the weakest are found in the coastal areas. With a mean wind speed of 10 metres per second, the province is the windiest in Argentina. Gusts can reach up to 200 kilometres per hour in some places.
Sunshine:
- Although most of the province is dry, the province is relatively cloudy. The percent of cloudy days ranges from 50% in the north to 60% in the south. Average daily sunshine hours range from 6 hours/day in the North to 4 hours/day in the south with the lowest in the coastal areas in the south.