The scarcity of in situ climate data often makes it challenging to implement hydrological studies in various regions of the world. As an alternative, satellite models such as CHIRPS and ERA5 have emerged as promising sources of climate information; however, their uncertainty must be assessed in each local context. This study evaluates the accuracy of CHIRPS (precipitation) and ERA5 (temperature) satellite products as alternative climate information in the San Pedro River basin, located in the municipality of Puerto Libertador, Córdoba, by comparing them with available observed data (2010–2023). The validation of these models allows establishing a tolerance level for the bias they may present, either due to their spatial resolution and/or estimation algorithm. In this study, statistical metrics (R2, RMSE, PBIAS) and extreme event analysis were applied. The results show that CHIRPS underestimates precipitation at high altitudes (− 15%, RMSE: 25 mm/month), but captures seasonality well (R2 > 0.8). ERA5 overestimates minimum temperatures (+ 1.2 ℃), affecting evapotranspiration models. Both detect 80% of extreme events, but with a time delay. It is noteworthy that these products help complement sparse climate networks, but require local corrections, especially in mountainous areas.