SerpApi.Org
The powder train is pulling into the station.
At ski resorts across South America, snow is piling up amid the region’s largest winter storm in recent memory—so large, in fact, that upwards of 200 inches of snow could arrive over the coming days, according to forecasts.
Ski Portillo, Chile, one of the resorts expecting the biggest dump, is already reporting 41 inches in the past 24 hours. Or, about three and a half feet.
The storm comes after a slow early season for many of South America’s resorts, so, in some places, the conditions have rapidly gone from barren to powder-covered. A recent look at Portillo’s webcams shows impressive accumulation.
Portillo, for the time being, is hunkering down. In the long-term, massive blizzards are a boon to ski resort operations. Without snow, of course, it’s difficult to open terrain.
But in the short-term, there is such a thing as too much snow, pushing avalanche danger higher and snarling roads. Last winter in the northern hemisphere, a slew of Californian ski resorts paused operations as a serious squall slammed the Sierra Nevada.
According to Portillo’s website, its primary access roads are closed. The resort announced on social media earlier this week that it would suspend operations amid the height of the storm, with its ski school director, Katie White, offering more details in another post on Thursday.
“It will likely take the highway department some time to do avy control and plow the road after it is safe to do so,” she wrote. “If there is a window of calm weather, Portillo will do everything we can to get you all up here so you can enjoy the snow!”
Snow reports from other mountains are similarly staggering. Valle Nevado, in Chile’s Tres Valles region, saw just over two feet last night, and the snow looks—no exaggeration—bottomless.
Meanwhile, in Argentina, Las Leñas also picked up a huge refresh. Again, videos do a better job of explaining how that looks.
While the first chapter of the storm would be worth a headline alone, this is just that: the first chapter. Heavy snowfall is expected throughout the day on Saturday (July 18), with continued re-ups all of next week, if the forecast holds.
Locals and visitors should anticipate delays and road closures in the meantime, but more than enough fresh snow is on the menu once resorts hit their stride. This looks to be a storm cycle that South America’s ski community won’t forget any time soon.
To stay updated on the latest information, we recommend sticking to ski resorts’ websites and social media pages—conditions and plans can change fast.
Related: Low-Key Utah Ski Resort Hits Zillow for $22.5 Million
