Huge 30-Inch Storm Hits the Andes as Almost All Resorts in the Southern Hemisphere are Now Open

A huge snowstorm that hit the Andes mountains over the weekend dumped more than 20″ of fresh snow on a number of slopes in the southern hemisphere.

Portillo, Chile reported it had almost 2-feet of fresh snow in a 24 hour period and a total of 30″ for the week. Big snow also fell at Valle Nevado, Chile and Argentina’s Las Lenas. Most other ski areas in the Andes are also seeing significant snowfall however.

It’s possible the snowstorm will result in the first reported 75″ snow base in the southern hemisphere since 2014.

Currently, the deepest base in South America is reported by Cerro Castor in Argentina with 47″, with Tutroa on Mt Ruapehu in New Zealand posting the deepest base to date in the southern hemisphere of 63″.

These are the current top snow-packs currently being reported by resorts in the southern hemisphere. South America clearly has some catching up to do, but this latest storm will certainly have helped.

1. Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand — 63″
2. Remarkables, New Zealand — 45″
3. Mt Lyford, New Zealand — 41″
4. Ohau Snowfield, New Zealand — 39″
5. Cardrona, New Zealand — 36″
6. Mt Hutt, New Zealand — 35″
7. Hamner Springs, New Zealand — 35″
8. Valle Nevado, Chile — 35″
9. Coronet Peak, New Zealand — 31″
10. Treble Cone, New Zealand — 31″
11. Perisher, Australia — 30″
12. Thredo, Australia — 30″
13. Falls Creek, Australia — 30″
14. Charlotte Pass, Australia — 30″
15. Cerro Castor, Argentina — 24″
16. Las Leñas, Argentina — 22″
17. Cerro Catedral, Argentina — 17″
18. Ski Portillo, Chile — 18″

Most ski areas in the Southern Hemisphere have opened for the 2018 season over the past four weeks, the latest being Chile’s Chapa Verde this weekend, and also New Zealand’s Mt Dobson.