Balmaceda, Chile facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Balmaceda
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| Country |  Chile |
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| Region | Aysén | |
| Province | Coyhaique | |
| Municipalidad | Coyhaique | |
| Comuna | Coyhaique | |
| Balmaceda | January 1, 1917 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Municipalidad | |
| Elevation | 518 m (1,699 ft) | |
| Population
(2002 census)
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| • Total | 456 | |
| Time zone | UTC−04:00 (Chilean Standard (CLT)) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−03:00 (Chilean Daylight (CLST)) | |
| Area code(s) | Country + town = 56 + 67 | |
| Climate | Csb | |
Balmaceda is a small village in Chile. It is located southeast of Coyhaique in the Aysén Region. About 500 people live in Balmaceda. It is home to the Aysén Region's biggest airport, Balmaceda Airport. It also has an important weather station.
Contents
History of Balmaceda
Early Settlers Arrive
The first people came to this area in the early 1900s. They had to leave Argentina because of new border lines. These borders between Chile and Argentina were set in 1902.
Founding the Village
Balmaceda was officially started on January 1, 1917. The village was named after José Manuel Balmaceda, a former Chilean president. At first, Balmaceda was one of the biggest towns far from the coast in the Aysén Region.
Getting Around: Transport
Road Connections
Balmaceda is connected to Route 40 in Argentina. This connection is a 102-kilometer (about 63 miles) gravel road. It is not paved, so it can be a bumpy ride!
Balmaceda's Climate
Unique Weather Patterns
Balmaceda has a very interesting climate. It mixes two different types of weather. One is like the dry-summer Mediterranean weather found in Central Chile. The other is like the subpolar oceanic weather seen in southern Chile.
Seasons in Balmaceda
Balmaceda has warm, but dry, summers. Its winters are long and can have some snow. However, the winters are not usually very harsh. There is much less rain here than on the coast of Chile. This is because the Andes mountains block a lot of the rain. Snow often falls in winter, but it usually does not stay on the ground for long.
| Climate data for Balmaceda (1991–2020, extremes 1952–present) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 33.2 (91.8) |
35.3 (95.5) |
32.0 (89.6) |
24.4 (75.9) |
18.3 (64.9) |
17.2 (63.0) |
14.5 (58.1) |
15.1 (59.2) |
22.7 (72.9) |
27.8 (82.0) |
30.0 (86.0) |
32.0 (89.6) |
35.3 (95.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 18.4 (65.1) |
19.0 (66.2) |
16.3 (61.3) |
12.5 (54.5) |
8.2 (46.8) |
4.6 (40.3) |
4.3 (39.7) |
6.9 (44.4) |
10.2 (50.4) |
12.8 (55.0) |
14.9 (58.8) |
16.9 (62.4) |
12.1 (53.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 12.6 (54.7) |
12.6 (54.7) |
10.4 (50.7) |
7.4 (45.3) |
4.2 (39.6) |
1.4 (34.5) |
0.8 (33.4) |
2.8 (37.0) |
5.2 (41.4) |
7.4 (45.3) |
9.4 (48.9) |
11.4 (52.5) |
7.1 (44.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 6.9 (44.4) |
6.1 (43.0) |
4.5 (40.1) |
2.2 (36.0) |
0.3 (32.5) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
0.3 (32.5) |
1.9 (35.4) |
4.0 (39.2) |
5.9 (42.6) |
2.2 (36.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −5.9 (21.4) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−10.3 (13.5) |
−14.6 (5.7) |
−17.3 (0.9) |
−28.3 (−18.9) |
−25.2 (−13.4) |
−20.1 (−4.2) |
−15.8 (3.6) |
−11.6 (11.1) |
−7.7 (18.1) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
−28.3 (−18.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 23.4 (0.92) |
21.1 (0.83) |
38.6 (1.52) |
49.7 (1.96) |
69.5 (2.74) |
79.6 (3.13) |
65.2 (2.57) |
55.7 (2.19) |
31.5 (1.24) |
34.3 (1.35) |
30.2 (1.19) |
24.5 (0.96) |
523.3 (20.60) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 4.2 | 4.1 | 5.5 | 7.2 | 9.4 | 10.1 | 8.2 | 8.4 | 6.2 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 77.8 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 72 | 74 | 77 | 82 | 86 | 87 | 86 | 83 | 79 | 75 | 72 | 72 | 79 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 303 | 266 | 236 | 156 | 117 | 94 | 114 | 161 | 203 | 291 | 292 | 310 | 2,543 |
| Source 1: Dirección Meteorológica de Chile (humidity, 1970–2000) | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (precipitation days 1991–2020), Deutscher Wetterdienst (sun, 1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
See also
- In Spanish: Balmaceda para niños
