El Chaltén

Santa Cruz Weather in May

Average temperatures, rainfall, sunshine and the best places to visit in Santa Cruz, Argentina in May.

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El Calafate El Chaltén Río Gallegos Los Antiguos

Planning a trip to Santa Cruz, Argentina this May? Here's what you need to know about the weather:

What to Expect in Santa Cruz in May

Santa Cruz, Argentina is a region in Argentina. Santa Cruz, Argentina has a wide variety of climate types. During May, you can expect temperatures that range from cold to mild and precipitation levels ranging from low to heavy.

Temperatures

During the day the temperature is cold in El Chaltén at 3°C (37°F) and mild in Caleta Olivia at 14°C (57°F). As night falls, temperatures generally drop to 5°C (41°F) in Caleta Olivia and -3°C (27°F) in El Chaltén.

For a closer look at conditions across Santa Cruz, Argentina, refer to the map below.

Precipitation

In May, precipitation varies across different areas. From low rainfall in Puerto Deseado with an average of 18 mm (0.7 in) to heavy rainfall in El Chaltén with 216 mm (8.5 in).

Average sunshine

Most places get a reasonable amount of sunshine. Take El Calafate as an example - it receives around 115 hours of sunlight, offering a nice mix of sunny and partly cloudy days. Want to compare this with brighter destinations? Try our weather planner to explore your options.

Explore Santa Cruz by month

Pick a month to see the average temperature, rainfall and sunshine in Santa Cruz — and find the best time to visit. (based on El Calafate)

January16°C (61°F) February16°C (61°F) March13°C (55°F) April10°C (50°F) May6°C (43°F) June3°C (37°F) This monthJuly3°C (37°F) August4°C (39°F) September7°C (45°F) October10°C (50°F) November12°C (54°F) December14°C (57°F)
Best Time to Visit Santa Cruz →

Best Places to Visit in Santa Cruz in May

Click on a destination dot for more details. Toggle the map to compare temperatures or precipitation across Santa Cruz.

Conditions Temperatures Precipitation
perfect weather
pleasant
tolerable
unpleasant
poor

Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C (68°F) and 29°C (84°F) and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm (3.5 in) a month).

Popular Destinations in Santa Cruz

What is the weather like in May for some of the most popular destinations in Santa Cruz, Argentina?

Temperature range in Santa Cruz (May)

Precipitation variation in Santa Cruz (May)

El Calafate

In May El Calafate generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 6°C (43°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around -1°C (30°F) and moderate monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

« April
May
June »
April
May
June
Max temperature
10°C (50°F)
6°C (43°F)
3°C (37°F)
Min temperature
2°C (36°F)
-1°C (30°F)
-4°C (25°F)
Monthly sun hours
157 hours
115 hours
97 hours
Monthly snow/rainfall
88 mm (3.5 in)
79 mm (3.1 in)
65 mm (2.6 in)
Monthly rainy days
8 days
8 days
6 days
Weather conditions
poor
poor
poor
Climate in El Calafate →

El Chaltén

In May El Chaltén generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 3°C (37°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around -3°C (27°F) and heavy monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

« April
May
June »
April
May
June
Max temperature
6°C (43°F)
3°C (37°F)
1°C (34°F)
Min temperature
-1°C (30°F)
-3°C (27°F)
-5°C (23°F)
Monthly sun hours
160 hours
120 hours
100 hours
Monthly snow/rainfall
239 mm (9.4 in)
216 mm (8.5 in)
183 mm (7.2 in)
Monthly rainy days
8 days
8 days
6 days
Weather conditions
poor
poor
poor
Climate in El Chaltén →

Río Gallegos

In May Río Gallegos generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 10°C (50°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 1°C (34°F) and low monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

« April
May
June »
April
May
June
Max temperature
14°C (57°F)
10°C (50°F)
7°C (45°F)
Min temperature
4°C (39°F)
1°C (34°F)
-1°C (30°F)
Monthly sun hours
109 hours
105 hours
86 hours
Monthly rainfall
32 mm (1.3 in)
29 mm (1.1 in)
25 mm (1 in)
Monthly rainy days
8 days
9 days
7 days
Weather conditions
tolerable
unpleasant
unpleasant
Climate in Río Gallegos →

Los Antiguos

In May Los Antiguos generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 9°C (48°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 4°C (39°F) and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

« April
May
June »
April
May
June
Max temperature
13°C (55°F)
9°C (48°F)
6°C (43°F)
Min temperature
7°C (45°F)
4°C (39°F)
2°C (36°F)
Monthly sun hours
157 hours
118 hours
95 hours
Monthly rainfall
74 mm (2.9 in)
98 mm (3.9 in)
97 mm (3.8 in)
Monthly rainy days
5 days
7 days
6 days
Weather conditions
unpleasant
poor
poor
Climate in Los Antiguos →

Puerto Deseado

In May Puerto Deseado generally has moderate temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 13°C (55°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 6°C (43°F) and low monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are tolerable that month.

« April
May
June »
April
May
June
Max temperature
17°C (63°F)
13°C (55°F)
10°C (50°F)
Min temperature
8°C (46°F)
6°C (43°F)
3°C (37°F)
Monthly sun hours
119 hours
79 hours
71 hours
Monthly rainfall
17 mm (0.7 in)
18 mm (0.7 in)
26 mm (1 in)
Monthly rainy days
6 days
7 days
6 days
Weather conditions
pleasant
tolerable
unpleasant
Climate in Puerto Deseado →

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at all destinations in Santa Cruz, in Argentina.

In our records: Argentina May extremes

Notable May records observed across cities in Argentina in our climate database (1976 – 2026). Historic readings can vary in quality, so treat these as illustrative.

  • From our sources, the wettest May day in Argentina brought 318 mm (13 in) in Salta on May 18, 1981.

Popular cities in May

Day & night temperatures, rainfall and average weather in Santa Cruz in May.

City Weather Day temp Night temp Rainfall
El Calafate 6°C (43°F) -1°C (30°F) 79 mm (3.1 in)
El Chaltén 3°C (37°F) -3°C (27°F) 216 mm (8.5 in)
Río Gallegos 10°C (50°F) 1°C (34°F) 29 mm (1.1 in)
Los Antiguos 9°C (48°F) 4°C (39°F) 98 mm (3.9 in)
Puerto Deseado 13°C (55°F) 6°C (43°F) 18 mm (0.7 in)
Caleta Olivia 14°C (57°F) 5°C (41°F) 24 mm (0.9 in)

Santa Cruz weather in May: frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Santa Cruz, Argentina in May?

Expect poor weather across Santa Cruz, Argentina in May. The popular destination of El Calafate averages 6°C (43°F) by day and -1°C (30°F) at night during this month.

What is the average temperature in Santa Cruz, Argentina in May?

Daytime temperatures in El Calafate peak at roughly 6°C (43°F) in May, dropping to about -1°C (30°F) overnight.

Does Santa Cruz, Argentina get a lot of snow/rain in May?

Not particularly. El Calafate averages just 79 mm (3.1 in) of snow/rain in May, making it a mostly dry month for Santa Cruz, Argentina.

Is May a Good Time to Visit Santa Cruz, Argentina?

Given the typically poor weather conditions in El Calafate, May may not be the ideal time to visit Santa Cruz, Argentina.

Generally speaking, the best visiting conditions can be found in January, February and December offering mostly tolerable weather in El Calafate. On the other hand, the weather in April, May, June, July, August, September and October tend to be poor.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Santa Cruz.

Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to Argentina? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in Argentina.

Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.

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Must visit in Argentina →