Valparaíso, Chile's principal port and a city built on steep hills above a Pacific bay, sits on the central coast of the country, just west of Santiago, at approximately -33.05°S, 71.61°W. Cooled by the cold Humboldt Current offshore, it has a mild Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) — dry, mild summers and mild, wetter winters — with the ocean keeping temperatures remarkably even year-round. Being in the Southern Hemisphere, its seasons are reversed relative to the Northern.

Summer, from December to February, is mild, dry and pleasant rather than hot, with January and February the warmest months — average highs around 21–22°C — kept cool by the cold Humboldt Current and the reliable sea breeze. Rain is essentially absent for months, morning coastal cloud and fog are common before clearing, and this dry, mild stretch is the sunniest and most settled time of year.

Winter, from June to August, is mild and the wetter season, with July the coolest month — average highs around 15°C and lows near 8–9°C, rarely reaching frost thanks to the ocean. Pacific storm systems bring most of the year's rain in these months, along with grey skies and occasional strong winds, though cold spells are brief and genuine cold is unknown on the mild coast.

Valparaíso is fairly dry, receiving only around 370–450 mm of rain a year, almost all of it in the winter months from May to August, while the summer is essentially rainless; the cold offshore current suppresses rainfall and feeds the coastal fog. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Valparaíso's climate is governed by the cold Humboldt Current offshore, which keeps temperatures mild and even year-round, suppresses rainfall and generates the low cloud and fog — the local camañchaca — that often veils its famous hillsides in the morning before the sun breaks through. Its dry summers and mild wet winters are classic Mediterranean, moderated always by the cool Pacific.

To follow any single measurement in Valparaiso more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.