Precipitation in South America
 

The gradient of precipitation is quite high in Chile from North to South. The gradient of precipitation is especially steep in Central Chile with high rainfall further south (lake district, Patagonia) and increasingly drier conditions towards the north (Altiplano, Atacama desert). On the North Chilean Altiplano, precipitation is low and occurs mainly during summer time. In the South, in Patagonia, rainfall is very abundant during winter due to the Westerly circulation belt, and due to the high humidity, glaciers even reach the ocean.

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