Salta weather in December
December in Salta: hot, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 22 rainy days.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#11 of 12 months in Salta · #848 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 66/100 (tier C)
- Days
- 29°C
- Nights
- 16°C
- Wet days
- 22
- Sun
- 10.9 h
- Humidity
- 77%
- Daylight
- 14 h
Traveller notes on Salta in December
Other months in Salta
Salta's forum describes April as the tail end of the wet season, with roughly even odds of rain early in the month dropping off sharply as it goes on - several posters said the rains typically wrap up around Easter, after which the Northwest settles into some of its best weather of the year. Nights get properly cold at Salta's altitude even as days stay mild to warm. The practical advice repeated most often is to avoid driving the mountain routes toward Cachi during an active downpour, since those roads are more exposed than the well-paved routes to Purmamarca or Cafayate.
Forum posters describe October as warm by day - some reporting highs over 90F - cooling noticeably at night, with sunny skies and little rain the norm; posters note the broader April-through-November stretch here is essentially dry, so October sits comfortably within that reliable dry season. Standard packing advice given the day-to-night swing: layers for cooling evenings plus sun protection (sunscreen, sunglasses) for the strong high-altitude daytime sun. Posters consistently pair a Salta visit with nearby Cafayate (wine country) and Purmamarca (the colorful hillside town), both commonly reachable as day trips or short add-ons and similarly favorable weather-wise in October.
Add your own note from Salta's card on the map.
Salta climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Salta in December
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsChristmas and New Year, Summer holidays in Argentina, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Salta's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Toughest weatherSalta's weather peaks July–September, best around August.
December coincides with Summer rain closes the mountain roads.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Salta in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Rule
Tren a las Nubes runs all year
1 Jan – 31 DecBook earlyThe trip to the viaduct runs year round as a bus-and-train combination, and the operator cancels it outright when the weather turns on the puna. Book it early in the trip so there is a second chance. Source ↗
- Hazard
Summer rain closes the mountain roads
15 Dec – 15 Mar · usuallyFlood seasonClosuresStorms in the southern summer send debris over the Cuesta del Obispo and the road down to Cafayate, and either can shut for a day. Tour operators swap the itinerary rather than cancel it. Source ↗
- Holiday
Christmas and New Year
24 Dec – 1 JanChristmas & New YearClosuresArgentines celebrate at midnight on 24 and 31 December with family dinners and fireworks. Shops close early on those evenings, and on 25 December and 1 January almost everything is shut, including many restaurants. Source ↗
- Season
Wet season
MonsoonRisk22 rainy days and about 270 mm in the month — the real kind of rainy season, not afternoon showers.
from the climate normals
Where is Salta?
Salta in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Salta?
- December in Salta: hot, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 22 rainy days. It ranks #11 of 12 months for Salta on SeasonMap's comfort score (66/100).
- What is the weather like in Salta in December?
- In December, Salta averages a daily high of 29°C and a low of 16.1°C, with about 269.7 mm of rain over roughly 21.7 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Salta in December?
- Salta has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 31 in December.