What is the best month to cruise to Elephant Island?

South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

Elephant Island cruise weather by month

What to expect when your ship is in Elephant Island in any month: temperatures, how often it rains, wind, sea temperature and wave heights.

Decemberbest month, rated 24 of 100

Poor.

January 23
February 19
March 18
April 15
May 16
June 17
July 21
August 19
September 12
October 13
November 18
December 24

Excellent, 85 and upGood, 70 to 84Fair, 55 to 69Poor, under 55

38°Fwarmest average high (January)
28°Fcoolest average high (June)
39%fewest rain days (July)
51%most rain days (January)

Best time to cruise to Elephant Island

The best month for cruise weather in Elephant Island is December, rated 24 out of 100 (Poor). January and July score nearly as well. The weakest month is September (12, Poor): cool weather and many rainy days.

How the rating works

Each month scores out of 100 from five things: the average high (30 points; 64 to 82°F is full marks), how often it rains (25), how rough the sea gets (15), how warm the water is where swimming matters (10) and storms (20: how often a tropical storm passed within 90 miles since 1980, or how often gales struck in the 20-year record, whichever is worse). A part with no data is left out and the rest scaled up. The weights are a judgment about what makes a stop pleasant, not a measurement. Crowds and fares are not included.

Weather in Elephant Island by month

Average highs run from 28°F (-2°C) in June to 38°F (3°C) in January. Rain falls on the fewest days in July and the most in January. Sea temperature and wave heights are for the water just off the port.

Typical conditions, 2006–2025 climate record (ECMWF). Rain days are days with at least 1 mm of rain or melted snow. These are averages, not a forecast.
Month	Rating	High / low	Rain days	Wind	Sea temp	Typical seas	Sun
January	23Poor	38 / 32°F3 / 0°C1 in 10 days: 36–41°F	51%	19 mph30 km/h	–	7 ft (2.0 m)Moderate; rougher days up to 10 ft	9.7 hrs89% humidity
February	19Poor	38 / 32°F3 / 0°C1 in 10 days: 35–41°F	49%	19 mph31 km/h	–	7 ft (2.0 m)Moderate; rougher days up to 10 ft	7.8 hrs88% humidity
March	18Poor	37 / 30°F3 / -1°C1 in 10 days: 33–40°F	46%	19 mph31 km/h	–	7 ft (2.1 m)Moderate; rougher days up to 10 ft	5.6 hrs88% humidity
April	15Poor	35 / 28°F2 / -2°C1 in 10 days: 29–39°F	51%	21 mph33 km/h	32°F0°C	8 ft (2.4 m)Moderate; rougher days up to 10 ft	3.4 hrs86% humidity
May	16Poor	32 / 24°F0 / -5°C1 in 10 days: 26–36°F	45%	21 mph33 km/h	32°F0°C	7 ft (2.2 m)Moderate; rougher days up to 10 ft	1.5 hrs86% humidity
June	17Poor	28 / 18°F-2 / -8°C1 in 10 days: 19–32°F	44%	20 mph33 km/h	31°F-1°C	5 ft (1.5 m)Moderate; rougher days up to 10 ft	0.7 hrs85% humidity
July	21Poor	29 / 19°F-2 / -7°C1 in 10 days: 19–34°F	39%	19 mph31 km/h	30°F-1°C	5 ft (1.6 m)Moderate; rougher days up to 9 ft	1.2 hrs84% humidity
August	19Poor	28 / 19°F-2 / -7°C1 in 10 days: 18–34°F	44%	21 mph33 km/h	30°F-1°C	7 ft (2.0 m)Moderate; rougher days up to 9 ft	2.8 hrs84% humidity
September	12Poor	31 / 22°F-1 / -6°C1 in 10 days: 24–35°F	51%	22 mph35 km/h	30°F-1°C	8 ft (2.4 m)Moderate; rougher days up to 12 ft	4.8 hrs84% humidity
October	13Poor	32 / 25°F0 / -4°C1 in 10 days: 28–35°F	51%	20 mph33 km/h	30°F-1°C	7 ft (2.2 m)Moderate; rougher days up to 11 ft	6.8 hrs86% humidity
November	18Poor	34 / 28°F1 / -2°C1 in 10 days: 31–37°F	44%	20 mph33 km/h	31°F0°C	7 ft (2.2 m)Moderate; rougher days up to 10 ft	9.3 hrs86% humidity
December	24Poor	35 / 30°F1 / -1°C1 in 10 days: 32–37°F	41%	17 mph28 km/h	32°F0°C	6 ft (1.8 m)Moderate; rougher days up to 8 ft	11.1 hrs87% humidity

These are averages for 2006–2025 (20 years) from ECMWF’s ERA5 climate record, adjusted to local detail with a higher-resolution ECMWF analysis and Météo-France waves, then checked against weather-station records from NOAA (GHCN-Daily). There is no suitable station near this port, so the check was between the two model sources. They differ somewhat, so allow a few degrees either way.

Check the forecast for your sailing