Ski Resorts Reporting 40+ Inches of New Snow in South America
It's happening: ski resorts across South America are reporting honkin' snowfall totals. While the official start of winter for some of these areas is still several weeks away, a little premature powder action never hurts.
La Parva, Chile, started yesterday with 40-plus inches of fresh snow, uploading a tantalizing photo series featuring powder-laden slopes. "Cuando abren?" (when do you open?) wondered one local skier in the Instagram post's comments section. "Esperamos que muy pronto," La Parva wrote in response—that's Spanish for "hopefully very soon."
Thirty-two inches of snow fell at Portillo, Chile, prompting a similar line of questioning from local skiers on social media. However, the resort previously announced that it plans to open on June 22nd. It's unclear if the recent snowfall will alter that opening date.
The situation in Argentina is a bit foggier. Still, a quick review of the webcams provided by Catedral Alta Patagonia and Cerro Chapelco reveals that Chile's neighbor isn't hurting for snow, either. And Catedral Alta Patagonia skiers have already gotten a real taste of winter. Thanks to another pre-season storm, the resort offered a few days of lift-serviced skiing earlier this month.
To be frank, these storms shouldn't be seen as any kind of guarantee. Winter weather is notoriously fickle. Sometimes, it starts snowing and doesn't stop. Other times, Mother Nature deploys a cruel tease before saddling ski areas with, well, sh**y conditions.
Last winter, though, Mother Nature was feeling gracious. In late August and September, South American ski areas like Portillo and Las Leñas got slammed by eight or more feet of snow. When all was said and done, Portillo proudly reported that it was experiencing "the best [conditions] we've seen in years." At the risk of jinxing it—fingers crossed South America experiences a repeat performance.
Related: Aspen, Colorado Blanketed by 6+ Inches of Late-Spring Snow
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