Building on our last post about the rain in Patagonia, here’s the low down on the wind speeds!
The wind in Patagonia is notorious for being so strong that it could blow you over. This is because Patagonia is an enormous, mostly treeless plateau which gets blasted by the relentless dry polar winds that continually blow from the west. Patagonia is the definition of windy. But a good wind proof jacket will do the trick.
Below is a graph showing you the average wind speed (km/hr) in several Patagonian locations, again compared with Swoop’s hometown of Bristol. Bristol is a great comparison as the Southwest is one of the most exposed areas of the United Kingdom. In fact wind speeds on average are only greater in Western Scotland.
Perito Moreno has the lowest wind speed, which is good news for those of you visiting the Perito Moreno Glacier in Los Glaciares National Park!
Bristol is similar to Puerto Montt, El Calafate and Punta Arenas, however with Patagonia being so open with little protection it is likely that the wind will be felt to a greater extent, especially on the mountain tops!
Trelew, Esquel and Rio Gallegos are significantly the most windy locations, so expect to brace yourself against the gusts, or even find something to hold on.. just in case!
Here’s a lovely Google Map to help you locate each town:
