Six resorts in South America have opened up for some May turns - Cerro Catedral (May 9), Nevados de Chillan (May 15), Antuco (May 17), Corralco (May 18), Volcan Osorno (May 18), Antillanca (May 18). While some of these have limited operations, Antuco, Corralco, and Antillanca will remain open daily. Below are a few early-season shots.

After an extended break since the last major storm cycle, we have another strong and cold storm on our doorstep. Snow will begin as early as Sunday afternoon in the central and southern zones, spreading north during the night. The snow will be accompanied by a strong cold front that will similarly arrive in the central and southern zones during the afternoon and move north overnight. As a result, snow levels should remain below the bases of the resorts throughout this event. 

This is a very potent storm and will bring impressive precipitation and snow totals to the region, especially in the northern zone, thanks to an atmospheric river originating near Tahiti. 

The models are in good agreement for total precipitation, and the American model's precipitation forecast is below.

You can see a large area of 5 - 15 cm of liquid in the central zone and an area of 15 - 25 cm in the north. That's a lot of water. This should translate to .5 - 1 + m of snow in the central zone and 1 - 2 + m in the north. The deepest totals are expected around Portillo, Chapa Verde, and Valle Nevado, while resorts in the central zone in Chile like Nevados de Chillan and Las Araucarias will do well also. 

Snowfall rates will be highest from Sunday night through Tuesday, but the heavy snow will continue through Thursday. You can see the evolution of the storm in the gif below.

This strong storm will provide another great dose of base-building snow, helping resorts open sooner and with more terrain. May powder days are possible on Monday and Tuesday at Corralco, Antuco, and Antillanca, and with the new snow, be on the lookout for additional terrain openings. Nevados de Chillan is expected to remain open through Tuesday with early season powder conditions to start the week. I wouldn't be surprised to see some additional resorts open up. 

Once this storm wraps up on Thursday, a weak storm is expected to bring some snow showers, especially in the northern zone, over the weekend. 

The last week of the month looks dry, as weak ridging is expected to develop over the region. Temperatures should remain cool for much of the following week before moderating towards the end of the month. 

Thanks for reading the South America Daily Snow!

Next update on Tuesday.

Luke Stone
Forecaster, OpenSnow