In South Georgia, an island of the southern Atlantic Ocean administered by the United Kingdom, the climate is
maritime subpolar, in fact, the average temperature of the warmest month, February, is just 6 °C (43 °F) in the largest city, Grytviken.
Winter is cold, and the daily average of the coldest months (June and July) is around freezing (0 °C or 32 °F).
Here are the average temperatures in Grytviken.
Grytviken - Average temperatures| Month | Min (°C) | Max (°C) | Mean (°C) | Min (°F) | Max (°F) | Mean (°F) |
|---|
| January | 3 | 8 | 5.5 | 37 | 46 | 41.9 |
|---|
| February | 4 | 9 | 6.5 | 39 | 48 | 43.7 |
|---|
| March | 3 | 8 | 5.5 | 37 | 46 | 41.9 |
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| April | 1 | 6 | 3.5 | 34 | 43 | 38.3 |
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| May | -1 | 4 | 1.5 | 30 | 39 | 34.7 |
|---|
| June | -2 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 36 | 32 |
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| July | -2 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 36 | 32 |
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| August | -2 | 3 | 0.5 | 28 | 37 | 32.9 |
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| September | -1 | 4 | 1.5 | 30 | 39 | 34.7 |
|---|
| October | 0 | 5 | 2.5 | 32 | 41 | 36.5 |
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| November | 1 | 6 | 3.5 | 34 | 43 | 38.3 |
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| December | 2 | 7 | 4.5 | 36 | 45 | 40.1 |
|---|
| Year | 0.5 | 5.3 | 2.9 | 32.9 | 41.6 | 37 |
|---|
The island is exposed to the intense and incessant flow of the
westerly winds, which bring disturbances, able to cause rain or snow throughout the year. Annual
precipitation amounts to 1,400 millimeters (55 inches) per year in Grytviken, and it's well distributed over the seasons, although it drops slightly below 100 mm (4 in) per month from September to January, that is, between spring and early summer, while it hovers between 115 and 145 mm (4.5 and 5.7 in) per month between February and August, that is, from late summer to late winter. Here is the average precipitation.
Grytviken - Average precipitation| Month | Millimeters | Inches | Days |
|---|
| January | 95 | 3.7 | 12 |
|---|
| February | 115 | 4.5 | 13 |
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| March | 135 | 5.3 | 14 |
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| April | 135 | 5.3 | 14 |
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| May | 145 | 5.7 | 12 |
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| June | 135 | 5.3 | 15 |
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| July | 140 | 5.5 | 15 |
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| August | 135 | 5.3 | 14 |
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| September | 95 | 3.7 | 11 |
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| October | 80 | 3.1 | 12 |
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| November | 95 | 3.7 | 11 |
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| December | 85 | 3.3 | 11 |
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| Year | 1395 | 54.9 | 154 |
|---|
Given the temperatures,
snowfall is more likely to occur from mid-April to October, but it can sometimes occur even in summer and at sea level. Strong winds blow throughout the year, and the humidity is consistently high.
The amount of sunshine is scarce, especially in winter, when the sun is almost never seen. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Grytviken - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
January | 5 | 150 | February | 5.5 | 160 | March | 4 | 125 | April | 2 | 65 | May | 1 | 35 | June | 0.5 | 10 | July | 0.5 | 20 | August | 2.5 | 75 | September | 4 | 125 | October | 5.5 | 170 | November | 6 | 175 | December | 5.5 | 165 | Year | 3.5 | 1280 |
At sea level, the temperature can drop a few degrees below freezing even in summer, while in winter, it can drop to -10/-12 °C (10/14 °F) after outbreaks of Antarctic air masses. However, after a while, the westerlies usually start to blow again, therefore, severe frost doesn't last long.
On the other hand, in South Georgia, it practically never gets hot: the temperature can reach at most 20/22 °C (68/72 °F) in the warmest period, from November to March.
In
inland areas, where hills and mountains are found, the climate gets colder, and given the low summer temperatures, glaciers cover most of the island from an altitude of only 300 meters (1,000 feet), and some glacial tongues descend by gravity to the sea. With increasing altitude, snowfall becomes more likely even in summer. The highest peak is
Mount Paget, 2,935 meters (9,629 feet) high.
The sea is very cold throughout the year, and it approaches the freezing point in winter and spring; it is useful to recall that the sea, being salty, freezes at about -2 °C (28 °F).
Grytviken - Sea temperature| Month | Celsius (°C) | Fahrenheit (°F) |
|---|
January | 3 | 37 | February | 3 | 37 | March | 3 | 37 | April | 3 | 37 | May | 2 | 36 | June | 1 | 34 | July | 1 | 34 | August | 0 | 32 | September | 0 | 32 | October | 0 | 32 | November | 1 | 34 | December | 2 | 36 | Year | 1.6 | 34.8 |
Best Time
The
best time to visit South Georgia is the austral summer, from December to March, and especially from January to March, when temperatures are higher. It must be said that the weather in this period is not always clement: the temperature is low, it can rain, the wind often blows, and in inland hills and mountains (but sometimes, even on the coast), it can snow. It will therefore be useful to bring warm clothes, hoping to have the chance to remove the outer layers on warmer days, when the temperature can approach 20 °C (68 °F).
What to pack
In winter (June to August): bring warm clothes, a fleece, a down jacket, a wind jacket, a warm hat, gloves, a scarf, a raincoat, and hiking boots.
In summer (December to March): bring warm clothes, such as a sweater, a raincoat, a down jacket, a hat, and hiking boots; the outwer layer can be removed on warmer days. For inland mountains and Mount Paget, bring warm clothes like in winter.