The weather in Chilean Patagonia
Generally, Patagonia weather is dominated by two factors. The first is the strong and highly predominant westerly winds and the second is the Andes, as they build a barrier to the west winds and the moisture these winds carry, in a manner comparable to the Rocky Mountains in North America but on a much bigger scale. This is mainly due to the Antarctic influence, also called the ;"Antarctic accent"
This is of most importance for our fly fishing operation. Coyhaique is located in the transition zone, which allows us to move between the rainforest and the steppe in less than one hour, giving us many choices depending on weather conditions. For example, if it's too windy we can go toward the Andes, into the rain forest where there is usually little wind, and if it's raining hard we can fish the spring creeks on the steppe.
As you can see Patagonia weather patterns are amazingly complex, and so it's virtually impossible to answer the common question "When can you expect the best weather?" Throughout our fishing season the temperature can range from 40 to 90 F, with winds from 0 to 50 miles per hour. It could be cold and wet or hot and sunny, so it's best come prepared for any conditions. We will provide you with all the information on what to bring, once you book with us
Other Important facts about Patagonia Weather
- Due to high annual precipitation in the form of snow over 3000 feet, many glaciers of the Patagonian Ice fields on the west side calve into the Pacific at the same latitude as Vancouver, Canada.
- In Patagonia there are only small seasonal changes in the temperature regime in contrast to the same latitude in the northern hemisphere, but "all the seasons can be observed in a single day".
- Western Patagonia is thought of as the region with the most precipitation outside the Tropics. In 300 to 320 days of the year there is precipitation and there is not a single month for which official records are available with more than 6 days without precipitation.