The area around Lascar is one of the driest and highest volcanic settings in the world. Precipitation at Lascar is about and consists mostly of snow. Persistent snow cover exists on the western and southern slopes of the volcano; it contributes partly to the fumarole water. In 1993, yearly precipitation at several towns around Lascar ranged from . Lascar is located close to the Atacama Desert, one of the world's driest deserts.