Maquinchao is a village and municipality in Río Negro Province in Argentina.

[1] This town is located in the middle of northern Patagonia, right in the steppe.

Combined with its far distance from open ocean, Maquinchao has one of the most continental variations of a cold semi-arid climate (BSk, according to the Köppen climate classification) in the country, bordering on a cold arid climate (BWk) and it can be quite extreme: temperatures can range from well above 35 °C or 95 °F on the hottest summer days (but with cold, desert nights at around 10 °C or 50 °F) to lows that might reach −25 °C or −13 °F.

Snow is common, but since precipitation is generally low, quantities tend to be reduced.

The weather is generally windy, especially in the spring.