All Images: Courtesy of Ski Portillo
The Andes were just hit with another major snowstorm last week after almost three weeks of nonstop storms that have given many resorts historic season totals. A low-pressure system off the Chilean coast brought a major atmospheric river into the Andes. According to a video published by meteorologist Luke Stone, the storm is set to come in two waves, with lingering snow having made its way to the Southern Andes over the last few days.
Ski Portillo has reported a whopping 37 inches over the past week. That brings Portillo’s season total to about 360 inches. For reference, the resort usually averages around 200 inches per season. To celebrate, the legendary South American ski area recently announced it will extend its 2026 winter season through October 11. Yes, that means well over another month of lift-powered skiing in Chile.
Resorts further south in Argentina, like Cerro Catedral, reported 20-plus inches of snow on their higher-elevation terrain. This week's snowstorm led the mountain to issue an avalanche danger rating of Level 4- HIGH on Thursday. Las Leñas, another popular ski area in Argentina, hasn’t posted an updated snow report, but the forecast reported 31 inches of new snow.
The storms have been seemingly endless at Portillo this season
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This ski season has been quite the 180 compared to last year’s season in the Andes, as many Chilean resorts had a slow start and Argentina struggled through a dry winter. But this isn't necessarily a surprise, as El Niño has officially formed in the Pacific, fueling this powder-filled season for the Andes.
Storms like these are anything but easy to navigate, and the operations teams at Portillo and beyond have done a remarkable job making sure guests have the safest possible conditions at all parts of their journey. Importantly, don't take snow like this for granted! Not everywhere in South America has been as fortunate, as the 2026 Backcountry Invitational Argentina stop was canceled due to low snow totals in Ushuaia, the Southernmost city in the world.
As we sit in North America debating how El Niño will play out for us, I’d grab your powder skis and head down to South America. There is plenty of snow to go around for everybody and more coming–in fact, too much in some cases.
