Featured Image: Courtesy of Valle Nevado
It's hard to imagine the intensity of the storm hitting South America's Andes Mountains right now. Making sense of the reported snow totals is even more difficult. Leading up to the last few days, meteorologists were in general consensus that this cycle would be one for the ages, but what came to fruition surpassed even the highest expectations.
The snow began to fall on Thursday, 7/16, and has continued since, with totals in some parts of the Central and Northern Andes reporting anywhere from 120 to 200 inches of snow in the last five days. That's upwards of two Shaquille O'Neal's worth of snow.
Top Five-Day Totals from Andes Ski Resorts (7/16 - 7/21)
According to OpenSnow
La Parva, Chile - 145"
Ski Arpa, Chile - 129"
Ski Portillo, Chile - 128"
Chapa Verde, Chile - 120"
El Colorado, Chile - 112"
Los Puquios, Argentina - 74"
Valle Nevado, Chile - 94"
Nevados De Chillán, Chile - 83"
Las Lenas, Argentina - 57"
Many resorts have been unable to open through the non-stop snowfall, though the storm actually allowed Nevados de Chillan to operate for the first time this season. The ski area was one of many resorts facing dismally low early season conditions. But a storm like this doesn't just reshape the week; it can reshape an entire winter.
At Ski Portillo, Chile, the road has been closed for days as the resort team has been inundated with the responsibilities that come with keeping an isolated mountain resort running during such a weather anomaly. "I’ve been coming to Ski Portillo for 11 seasons and have yet to see a storm forecast like this one," Portillo Ski School Director Katie White wrote on Instagram as the storm began six days ago. "I’ve only heard stories about storms like this from before my time here. If it delivers as the forecast says, it should make for an amazing rest of the season!"
The ski area issued another update on July 20, saying, "As of today, more than 4.5 meters (15 feet) of snow has fallen, and this number is expected to keep increasing over the coming days. As a result, access to Portillo remains closed for safety reasons."
Just slightly south, Valle Nevado, Chile, has also been consumed by a snow globe. "I've been trapped up at Valle Nevado in Chile since Wednesday, when the roads closed at midnight," wrote OpenSnow meteorologist Luke Stone on 7/19. "Since then, blizzard conditions and heavy snow buried Three Valleys with around two meters at the base and even more up high. The resort lost power for several hours, and my car got stuck in one-meter snow drifts. It's been a blast, and I did get to ride some deep powder the last few days."
Perhaps the wildest part of this low-pressure system is that it's not over. Check out the OpenSnow forecast below, calling for more snow through 7/22. While the intensity of precipitation is expected to decrease later this week, consistent snow will persist in most places through the end of the month. Our thoughts are with anyone negativley effected by the severe weather, and hopefully by the time it's over, great coverage, a stable snowpack and plenty of pow will be revealed!
