The climate of Uruguay is humid subtropical, and is fairly uniform nationwide. The country is located entirely within the temperate zone, and although seasonal variations are pronounced, extremes in temperature are quite rare. High humidity and fog are common, and water is plentiful. The absence of mountains and others weather barriers makes all locations vulnerable to high winds and rapid changes in weather as fronts or storms sweep across the country.
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Spring in Uruguay are typically damp, cool, and windy; summers are warm; autumns are mild; and winters are chilly and damp. Northwestern Uruguay, however, is farther from large bodies of water and therefore has warmer summers and milder and drier winters than the rest of the country. Average highs and lows in summer (January) in Montevideo are 82.4 and 62.6 °F, respectively, with an absolute maximum of 109.4 °F. Winter (July) average highs and lows in Montevideo are 57.2 and 42.8 °F, respectively, although the high humidity makes the temperatures feel colder; the lowest temperature ever registered in Montevideo is 24.8 °F. |
As in most temperate climates, rainfall results from the passage of cold fronts in winter, falling in overcast drizzly spells, and summer thunderstorms are frequent.
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High winds are common during the winter and spring, and wind shifts are sudden and pronounced. A winter warm spell can be abruptly broken by a strong Pampero, a chilly wind blowing north from the Argentine pampas. Summer winds off the ocean, however, have the more pleasant effect of tempering hot daytime temperatures. |
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