*Patagonia Argentina part 2.
Ushuaia is surrounded by Magellanic subpolar forests and despite receiving only 22 inches of precipitation yearly on average; Ushuaia’s climate is very wet. On average, the city experiences 160 days of rain or snow a year, and there are many cloudy and foggy days. Because temperatures are cool throughout the year, there is little evaporation. Snowfalls are common in winter and regularly happen in any season, including summer.
Climate-wise, Ushuaia is warmer than many assume; although (arguably) the southernmost city in the world, it is no further south than Belfast is north, and temperatures rarely drop below -10°C. However, summers tend not to climb much above +12°C and, as in all of Patagonia, strong winds add a significant wind chill factor. Trees that grow in Ushuaia tend to follow the wind direction, and therefore they are called “flag-trees”, named after the bend that they are forced to take.
Ushuaia is now a major tourist town, complete with casinos and nice restaurants, and commonly used as a base for hiking, winter sports and cruises to Antarctica.
Patagonia-Argentina
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Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 at 1:56 pm under
