Torres del Paine Weather

Step 1: Check wind gusts (safety first). Look at the row labeled Wind gusts (km/h). This shows the strongest bursts of wind and is the most important safety factor. Use this scale: 0–25 km/h is excellent and very safe. 25–40 km/h is good and normal for Patagonia. 40–60 km/h is moderate and requires caution, especially on exposed sections. 60–80 km/h is dangerous and summits should be avoided. 80+ km/h is severe and unsafe for hiking. For hikes like Laguna de los Tres, gusts above 60 km/h can make the final ascent difficult or unsafe.

Step 2: Check low cloud cover (main visibility factor). Look at Low cloud cover (%). This is the most important factor for mountain visibility. 0–20% means clear views. 20–40% means good visibility. 40–70% means partial visibility. 70–100% means the mountains are likely blocked. Low clouds sit directly on the mountains and can completely hide peaks like Fitz Roy even if other conditions look clear.

Step 3: Check mid cloud cover (secondary visibility factor). Look at Mid cloud cover (%). These clouds can also block mountain views. 0–20% means clear conditions. 20–40% means good visibility. 40–70% means partial visibility. 70–100% means poor visibility. The best hiking conditions occur when both low and mid cloud percentages are low at the same time.

Step 4: Scan hour-by-hour to find the best window. Windguru provides hourly forecasts, which helps identify the best time to hike. Look for hours when wind gusts decrease and cloud percentages drop. Conditions often improve later in the morning or early afternoon. Even a few hours of lower wind and cloud cover can provide a good hiking window.

Step 5: Check precipitation last. Look at Precip. (mm/1h) to see rain or snow. 0 mm means dry. 0.1–0.5 mm means very light precipitation. 0.5–2 mm means light rain. 2+ mm means moderate to heavy rain. Light rain is usually manageable, but strong wind combined with rain creates much worse conditions.