By late Thursday, snow totals had already reached the 50 to 60 centimeter range in the Valle Nevado, La Parva, El Colorado, and Farellones areas. Heavy snow was coming down in Portillo, Nevados de Chillan, and Corralco as well. This first wave is winding down today (Friday), with mostly light snow expected through Saturday. Below are the expected additional totals through Saturday. 

On Saturday night, the next system comes ashore and will quickly spread from south to north by morning. The heaviest snowfall from this storm is expected in the northern part of the central zone, from Corralco through Chillán. Additional significant accumulations are expected in the northern zone as well, with big totals in the southern/central parts of the central zone.

As I discussed in my last post, this is a stronger storm that will stick around longer and bring significantly stronger winds. The models have backed off just a bit on the top speeds, but it will still be intense, especially from Volcán Osorno north through Chillán. Volcan Osorno, Pucon, and Chillan appear particularly gusty, with the worst conditions expected on Saturday and Sunday. The strongest winds are expected to shift north early next week and then start to dissipate.

Snow levels will rise slightly ahead of the next wave, but another strong cold front will bring them back down as the storm approaches on Saturday night. They should be around similar levels as they were for round one, especially Monday night into Tuesday.

And here are the latest snow totals from the European model for round two.

The northern zone, including Corralco, Antuco, Las Araucarias, and Pucon, can expect 60 to 120 cm of snow through Wednesday. Nevados de Chillan will likely see even more, in the 75 to 150 cm range. Totals decrease farther south in the central zone, but 40 to 80 cm is likely. The northern zone is also expected to receive an additional 40 to 80 cm, with Las Lenas potentially exceeding this range. 

The models show another strong storm next weekend, so make sure to dig out from this one!

My Next post will be on Monday. 

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