Tilcara Weather Month by Month: Temperatures, Rain and Forecast

Tilcara sits in the middle of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, in a valley hemmed in by mountains that block moisture coming from the east. The result is a high-altitude desert climate (BWk in the Köppen classification): clear skies, very dry air and strong sun even in winter.

• Rainfall: 137 mm (5.4 in) a year according to INTA (1934-1990). The capital, San Salvador de Jujuy, gets around 950 mm (37 in), almost seven times as much.
• Average temperature: 17 °C (63 °F) in January and 7 °C (45 °F) in July, in the same series.
• Daily range: in winter the gap between afternoon and dawn tops 20 °C (36 °F); in summer it is around 15 °C (27 °F).

Little rain does not mean gentle rain: in 2017 a bioclimatology specialist at the National University of Jujuy told Argentina's public radio that 110 mm (4.3 in) had fallen on Tilcara in a single hour, close to a full year's average. Storms like that flood the dry streambeds and cut roads. Snow, on the other hand, is very rare: according to Jujuy's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, most of the Quebrada sees snow about once every 10 to 15 years.

Tilcara has its own records for rainfall and average temperature (INTA, 1934-1990), but there is no public series of daily highs and lows measured in town. For those figures we use the nearest SMN station that publishes them: Humahuaca (2,980 m / 9,777 ft, 1961-1970, released by Argentina's Mining Secretariat), about 40 km (25 mi) north. Values are rounded.

• January: high 24 °C (75 °F) / low 8 °C (46 °F), rain 42 mm (1.7 in); Tilcara average 17 °C (63 °F)
• February: high 23 °C (73 °F) / low 9 °C (48 °F), rain 35 mm (1.4 in); Tilcara average 17 °C (63 °F)
• March: high 24 °C (75 °F) / low 7 °C (45 °F), rain 18 mm (0.7 in); Tilcara average 16 °C (61 °F)
• April: high 23 °C (73 °F) / low 3 °C (37 °F), rain 3 mm (0.1 in); Tilcara average 13 °C (55 °F)
• May: high 22 °C (72 °F) / low -1 °C (30 °F), rain 0 mm; Tilcara average 10 °C (50 °F)
• June: high 20 °C (68 °F) / low -3 °C (27 °F), rain 1 mm (0.04 in); Tilcara average 8 °C (46 °F)
• July: high 20 °C (68 °F) / low -3 °C (27 °F), rain 0 mm; Tilcara average 7 °C (45 °F)
• August: high 21 °C (70 °F) / low -2 °C (28 °F), rain 1 mm (0.04 in); Tilcara average 9 °C (48 °F)
• September: high 23 °C (73 °F) / low 1 °C (34 °F), rain 1 mm (0.04 in); Tilcara average 12 °C (54 °F)
• October: high 24 °C (75 °F) / low 3 °C (37 °F), rain 4 mm (0.2 in); Tilcara average 15 °C (59 °F)
• November: high 24 °C (75 °F) / low 6 °C (43 °F), rain 9 mm (0.4 in); Tilcara average 16 °C (61 °F)
• December: high 24 °C (75 °F) / low 8 °C (46 °F), rain 23 mm (0.9 in); Tilcara average 17 °C (63 °F)

How to read the list: Tilcara sits about 500 m (1,640 ft) lower than that station. Comparing the averages of both series, Tilcara is 1.5 to 2.5 °C (3 to 4.5 °F) warmer from October to March, so afternoons then tend to be a little warmer than the highs shown; from May to September the difference almost disappears, because cold air pools on the valley floor at night. January and February bring more than half of the year's rain. Use these averages to plan; the forecast tells you the actual weather.

Dress in layers: a jacket in the morning, a T-shirt at midday and something warm again when the afternoon wind picks up.

• Summer (December to March): light clothes, a rain jacket or windbreaker for the storms and a sweater for the evening, with lows of 7 to 9 °C (45 to 48 °F). If you are hiking to the Garganta del Diablo gorge, bring shoes that can get wet: at this time of year you sometimes have to wade across the river.
• Fall (April and May): pleasant days and colder nights. Add a fleece and a warm jacket; frosts begin in May.
• Winter (June to August): sunny afternoons for a T-shirt and below-freezing dawns. Pack a down jacket or similar, a beanie, gloves and thermal layers if you will be out early or after dark.
• Spring (September to November): the warmest days of the year, with highs of 23 to 24 °C (73 to 75 °F). T-shirts, a mid-weight jacket and, from November, something for the rain.
• All year: sunglasses, a brimmed hat, high-SPF sunscreen, lip balm, moisturizer (the air is extremely dry) and a reusable water bottle.

For the climb to the Pucará ruins or the viewpoints, wear shoes with good grip. Our guide to things to do in Tilcara covers the walks and sights.

• For photos and clear skies: May to September. The Humahuaca station logged more than 20 clear-sky days a month from April to October, against 9 or 10 in December and January.
• For Carnival: February. Tilcara is one of the liveliest towns for it. In 2027 the opening ceremony (the desentierro) is on Saturday 6 February, Carnival Tuesday falls on the 9th and the closing burial is on Sunday 14. Throughout January the town also holds the Enero Tilcareño, a month of festivals, workshops and fairs that reached its 69th edition in 2026. February is the height of the rainy season; everything about the festival is in our Jujuy Carnival guide.
• For Holy Week: the pilgrimage to the Punta Corral sanctuary sets off from Tilcara, with thousands of pilgrims and bands of panpipe players (sikuris). In 2027 Maundy Thursday is 25 March, as the rains fade.
• For fewer crowds: September to November, plus May and June before the Argentine winter school holidays, avoiding Argentine long weekends.
• For lower prices: those same quiet periods. For July, Carnival and Easter, book early.

For good weather and a relaxed town, October and November are hard to beat: warm afternoons, mild nights and still little rain (4 and 9 mm on average). To pick a base, see our guide on where to stay in Tilcara.

Between December and March the danger is less the rain on town than what comes down from the mountains. A heavy storm upstream fills the dry streambeds that cross National Route 9 with water, mud and rocks, and traffic stops until road crews clear the way.

• RN 9: the paved highway linking Tilcara with San Salvador de Jujuy and Humahuaca. For the 2026-2027 season, Argentina's national roads agency (Vialidad Nacional) launched a preventive El Niño plan in Jujuy, with machinery stationed in advance in Volcán, Tilcara, Humahuaca, Susques and Ledesma.
• Gravel roads: the track to the Garganta del Diablo and provincial route RP 27 to Juella turn muddy or close more easily. After a storm, ask in town before heading up.
• Where to check: Vialidad Nacional posts the status of national routes on its website (in Spanish) and answers on 0800-222-6272, a toll-free number within Argentina, Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. Jujuy's Road Safety Secretariat publishes a daily report that adds provincial routes.

Avoid driving at night in the rain, never cross a dip with running water and leave a buffer day before your flight home.

Wind. Almost every day, soon after midday, a cold valley breeze picks up and temperatures drop fast, according to the guide manual of Jujuy's tourism ministry. In winter, especially August, a warm, dry north wind can blow. On some days the Zonda arrives, a hot, dry downslope wind similar to a foehn or chinook: in October 2026 the SMN kept yellow Zonda alerts for several days for the Puna and mountain zones of Tilcara, with gusts over 70 km/h (43 mph), dust and sudden temperature jumps. For hikes, start early: mornings are usually calmer.

UV radiation. At this altitude and in dry air the sun burns far faster than at sea level, even when it feels cold. The SMN publishes a daily UV index forecast for solar noon, for clear skies and with expected cloud cover. On the World Health Organization scale, 8 to 10 is very high and 11 or more is extreme. Wear high-SPF sunscreen and reapply every two hours, plus UV-filter sunglasses and a hat, in winter and on cloudy days too.

For the Tilcara forecast, the reference is the SMN, the official weather service, which also issues alerts. Check it at smn.gob.ar by searching for the town or the nearest place listed, or in its free app, SMN: Tiempo y Pronóstico (in Spanish), with a 7-day forecast, alerts 24, 48 and 72 hours ahead, radar and notifications if you are in an area under alert.

How to read the forecast:

• High and low: the low comes just before sunrise and the high in mid-afternoon. If you set off early, dress for the low.
• Chance of precipitation: the SMN shows it in bands: nula (0%), muy baja (up to 10%), baja (10 to 40%), media (40 to 70%) and alta (70 to 100%). It is the likelihood of rain, not the amount: a high chance with a few millimeters usually means scattered showers.
• Time of day: in summer storms build in the afternoon (tarde), so sightsee in the morning (mañana).
• How far ahead: trust the first two or three days most and check again the night before.

How to read the alerts: the SMN warns of heavy rain, thunderstorms, wind, Zonda, snow and extreme temperatures with a color for each level. Yellow (stay informed), over 90% of alerts, means weather that could cause damage and briefly disrupt activities; isolated severe storms are still possible. Orange (get prepared) means dangerous weather and red (follow official instructions), exceptional weather. In Jujuy alerts are issued by zone, such as Zona montañosa de Tilcara (mountain zone) or Puna de Tilcara; the text explains what to expect, when and what to do. Very short-range warnings, valid for 1 to 3 hours, are only issued where there is radar coverage.

Under a yellow storm alert, schedule hikes and drives for the morning, stay out of riverbeds in the afternoon and check RN 9 before returning to the capital or heading north; if you are, read our Humahuaca weather guide. Be wary of other apps: global models blend the valley floor with higher peaks, and some climate sites give Tilcara January highs of 15 °C (59 °F) and over 500 mm (20 in) of rain a year, far from INTA's measurements.