We could see some stray rain and snow showers on Friday, especially in the central and southern zones, but overall the region should stay dry through Sunday morning. Precipitation from the next storm should move in before noon on Sunday as an upper-level low comes onshore. 

Snow will begin in the southern and central zones initially and then spread farther north later in the day. The models have trended farther north with the system, which should allow colder air to make it farther north as well.

This is still not a particularly cold storm, and snow levels will likely be above base elevations in the early stages of the storm. Once the cold front moves through, however, snow levels will fall below base elevations everywhere. However, moisture will be somewhat limited following the cold front in some locations.

Still, this looks like a solid storm. Generally, 10 to 20 cm of snow is expected, with around 15 to 30 cm from Corralco north through Las Lenas. Below is the latest snow forecast from the American model. 

The latest guidance has increased totals for the northern zone from Valle Nevado through Portillo, but I am not fully convinced yet. I still think 10 to 20 cm is most likely, but if that part of the northern zone ends up with 15 to 30 cm, it wouldn't be too much of a surprise. 

Not much has changed in the pattern following this storm, with a strong ridge developing off the South American coast that will stick around through the end of the month. Below is the 5-day average upper-level pattern from the 26th through the 31st.

That is quite a strong signal and would keep any storms well south of the region.

My next post will be on Monday or Tuesday.

Thanks for reading the South America Daily Snow!

Luke Stone
Forecaster, OpenSnow

NEW: Forecast Range Graphs

You can now view individual forecasts from global and regional high-resolution weather models in OpenSnow. This includes forecasts from the GFS, ECMWF, HRRR, and ICON models, as well as the OpenSnow blend.

The graphs give you a behind-the-scenes look at the forecast and make it easier to see if the forecast models are in tight agreement or if there is a wide range of potential outcomes over the next 10 days.

Note: This is currently only available in the OpenSnow iOS app and website (OpenSnow.com). Android will be available soon.

Getting Started

1. Go to any location screen.
2. Scroll down under "Weather" or "Snow Summary".
3. Tap "View Interactive Chart" in the app.
4. Adjust the model, timeframe, or data view.

Why is the Forecast Range helpful?

Understand if there is high or low confidence in the forecast. If all models show a similar forecast, there is higher confidence in the forecast, and vice versa.

Dig into the details. If you have experience looking at weather model data and trust certain models or higher-resolution models, you'll be able to isolate your favorite data.

View → Forecast Range Graphs