SeasonMapTorres del Paine (Patagonia) weather in December
Chile
December in Torres del Paine: cold, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 24 rainy days.
#3 of 12 months in Torres del Paine · #805 of 1383 destinations to visit in December · comfort 67/100 (tier C)
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Traveller notes on Torres del Paine in December
December is Patagonian summer — among the least cold months of the year here — but the forum is unanimous that temperature is not what makes Torres del Paine hard. Summer is the windiest season, and one trip report describes four consecutive days delivering clear sky and high sun, 80mph winds, snow, hail and rain. The averages shown here read cold and snowy even in December because they cover exposed high terrain rather than only the valley trails, and that is the honest picture: it is the wind that makes you cold. Regulars pack a fleece hat or Buff for exactly that, note most campgrounds sit somewhat sheltered, and reckon the exposed sections feel far worse than the actual risk. The days are very long.
Year-round notes are on Torres del Paine's overview. Add your own note from Torres del Paine's card on the map.
Torres del Paine climate normals — December
| Daytime high | 6°C / 42°F | 🧥 cold |
|---|---|---|
| Nighttime low | 0°C / 32°F | |
| Feels like (high) | 3°C / 37°F | |
| Rainfall | 264 mm / 10.4 in | ⛈ soaked |
| Rainy days | 24 days | |
| Humidity | 82% | 💦 very humid |
| Dew point | 0°C / 31°F | |
| Sunshine | 9.8 h/day | |
| Daylight | 16.4 h | |
| Wind | 11 km/h / 7 mph | |
| Snowfall | 41.7 cm / 16.4 in | |
| Air quality (US AQI) | 16 | 🍃 good |
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Torres del Paine 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 crowdsSouthern summer peak, Summer holidays in Chile, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Torres del Paine'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).
Best weatherTorres del Paine's weather peaks December–February.
December includes Flamingos on the lagoons.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Torres del Paine in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Rule
Every night must be booked ahead
1 Jan – 31 DecBook earlyClosuresYou cannot walk the W or the O and find a bed. Campsites and refuges are reserved in advance across three separate operators plus the park service, rangers check the bookings at the gate, and the good dates go the day they open. Source ↗
- Rule
No fires anywhere in the park
1 Jan – 31 DecClosuresOpen fires are banned outright after the fires of 2005 and 2011, and stoves may only be used in the marked cooking shelters at each camp. Rangers enforce it and a careless stove has closed sectors before. Source ↗
- Nature
Flamingos on the lagoons
1 Oct – 31 Mar · usuallyBirdlife seasonChilean flamingos work Laguna Amarga and the shallow lakes by the eastern gate through the southern summer, with condors on the thermals above the same road.
- Opening
O Circuit opens
1 Nov – 31 MarTrail seasonBook earlyThe park service opens the back half of the massif around the start of November and shuts it again at the end of March, and it is walked counterclockwise only. The exact opening date depends on snow on the pass. Source ↗
- Hazard
Patagonian wind season
1 Nov – 28 FebThe same months that give you the long days give you the wind, and gusts over a hundred kilometres an hour on the exposed passes are routine rather than remarkable. It knocks people over on the Grey and Nordenskjold shores. Source ↗
- Nature
Guanaco birthing
15 Nov – 10 Jan · usuallyWildlife seasonChulengos drop in the open country on the eastern side from late November, which is also why the pumas are working that ground in daylight. The herds are visible from the road, no hike needed.
- Season
Southern summer peak
20 Dec – 28 FebSchool holidaysCrowdedBook earlyChileans and Argentines take their holidays now and the trails carry their heaviest traffic of the year. Puerto Natales runs out of beds, and the base of the towers at sunrise has a queue on the last scramble.
- Season
Wet season
MonsoonRisk24 rainy days and about 264 mm in the month — the real kind of rainy season, not afternoon showers.
from the climate normals
- Season
Snow season
Ski seasonAbout 42 cm of snow falls in the month.
from the climate normals
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Torres del Paine — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Torres del Paine?
Torres del Paine in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Torres del Paine?
- December in Torres del Paine: cold, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 24 rainy days. It ranks #3 of 12 months for Torres del Paine on SeasonMap's comfort score (67/100).
- What is the weather like in Torres del Paine in December?
- In December, Torres del Paine averages a daily high of 5.6°C and a low of -0.2°C, with about 263.9 mm of rain over roughly 23.8 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Torres del Paine in December?
- Torres del Paine has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 16 in December.
- Does it snow in Torres del Paine in December?
- Torres del Paine sees roughly 41.7 cm of snowfall in December.
Other months in Torres del Paine
Compare Torres del Paine in December
Warmer or cooler than Torres del Paine in December
Similar destinations in South America — December
Within 300 km: El Calafate's Flamingos on Laguna Nimez around 1 Oct – 31 Mar, and El Chaltén's Trekking season around 15 Oct – 15 Apr.