Located at the heart of Patagonia, Torres del Paine National Park has a microclimate with pleasant temperatures year-round.
There are two main climate types in the vast area comprising Patagonia. To the west of the Andes, a cool, coastal climate predominates, whilst the east has a cold steppe climate.
The first is characterized by abundant rainfall - between 3,000 millimeters (118 inches) and 7,000 millimeters (276 inches) per year in some areas – as a result of the moist winds coming off the Pacific, which release high quantities of water, especially on the coast and the Pacific archipelagos.
As the winds progress towards the Andes mountains and then the pampa, rainfall amounts diminish noticeably.
Travel in Patagonia and you will see that as a result the second climatic area is semi-arid, with rainfall varying from 300 millimeters (12 inches) to 350 millimeters (14 inches) per year.
Between the two climate zones, in a stretch of land less than 100 kilometers (62 miles) across, is a transitional strip that is home to Torres del Paine National Park, which has a microclimate with pleasant daytime temperatures throughout the year. Despite its latitude, winter temperatures are not too low and therefore when snow falls, it melts rapidly.
The masses of air coming from the coast arrive with lower humidity after passing over the mountain peaks and therefore rainfall amounts here are less than 10% of the average for the western coast.
The winds in this area have an average intensity of 20 kilometers/12 miles per hour –but in summer can generate gusts of up to 110 kilometers/68 miles per hour– which means that the climate at Torres del Paine is constantly changing. In a matter of minutes, currents of air can darken the sky with clouds or blow storm clouds away, giving way to clear skies and bright sunshine.
