CLIMATE. The northern part of Argentina projects well within the equatorial hot belt, while the central and southern parts extend through the south temperate zone. The peculiar location of Argentina, with oceanic conditions on the east and high mountains on the west, make its climatic details very dependent on the direction of the winds. The northern sec tion lies within the region of prevailing east winds, which convey inland the warm, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean, and cause a very uni form temperature, with heavy precipitation on the coast, but decreasing in amount with prog ress inland. South of the Plata the west and northwest winds of middle latitudes prevail, and these convey across the narrow territory the air from the Pacific Ocean, which has been deprived of most of its moisture on the wind ward slopes of the Chilean Andes. Thus the air heroines drier, and the precipitation de creases with approach toward the Atlantic coast. The monsoon-effects considerably modify these general conditions, so that for the northern and more important half of Argentina, in winter, northerly winds are very common.
The temperature decreases with increase of latitude, and varies in the annual average from 70° F. at the north lo less than 45° F. at the south. In the north the temperatures range from a maximum of 105° F. to a minimum of 30° F.; the hottest month averages about 80° F., and the coldest month about 55° F. Toward the middle of Argentina the hottest month averages only 75° F. and the coldest a little
less than 50° F., and at the extreme south the hottest month averages less than 50° F., and the coldest month has a temperature near that of freezing water. There is in general a great difference between the day and night tempera tures: but the intense cold waves of the middle latitudes of the continents of the Northern Hemisphere are entirely lacking. In general, the rainy season is in summer, with a winter season that is dry, even to the utter lack of rain in the interior. Three rain belts lying nearly parallel to the Andes are noticeable; in the extreme northeast the rainfall is moderately heavy, from 50 to 70 inches. To the west of this there is a zone of moderately light rainfall, extending as far south as the mouth of the Plata, w here the annual average is about 30 inches. Still farther west there is a rapid de crease to the Andean slopes. On the pampas the weather is variable, changes from the cool, dry south winds to the moist, hot north winds frequently occurring with great suddenness. The former winds, which sometimes blow with stormy violence, are called "Pamperos." They come with little warning, and are sometimes of day-long continuance. The moist, hot wind from the north, called (somewhat similar to the sirocco), causes intense discomfort to the inhabitants. The dry Zonda of the east side of the Andes region is of Fan character.