South America Snow Forecast: Las Leñas Gets 35-50 cm

The South America snow forecast favors Las Leñas as a storm already underway in northern Patagonia expands across the Andes through Wednesday. The deepest snow targets Las Leñas and the south-central Andes, while central Chile receives lighter refreshes before colder snowfall reaches Cerro Castor.

Snow already falling at Cerro Catedral and Chapelco continues overnight as the main wave strengthens from Nevados de Chillán through Corralco and Las Leñas on Wednesday. Las Leñas stands apart with 35-47 cm, while Corralco, Chapelco, Nevados de Chillán, and Cerro Catedral generally collect 10-23 cm. Snow levels initially sit near 1,400-2,000 meters across the wetter southern resorts before falling, leaving dense snow or a mix near some bases early and more moderate snow on the upper mountain. Gusts approaching 70 km/h at Corralco could disrupt exposed lifts on Wednesday.

The wave tapers from Las Leñas northward on Thursday while colder precipitation shifts toward Cerro Castor and lingers into Friday morning. Snow levels fall to sea level around Cerro Castor, supporting 12-17 cm of progressively drier snow. Central Chile stays on the edge, with 4-6 cm at Portillo, 3-4 cm at Valle Nevado, and about 2 cm at El Colorado and La Parva. Guidance agrees on the storm sequence and favored zone, although the exact intensity at Cerro Castor and the smaller central Chile totals remain less certain. Timing and snowfall detail are dependable through Friday afternoon.

The weekend looks quieter, with only scattered light snow showers around Patagonia and Las Leñas. Another system may spread snow from central Chile into the south-central Andes around Wednesday and Thursday, September 9-10, but confidence drops sharply after Friday. The ECMWF remains notably drier than most guidance with that later wave, so it is too early for dependable totals or chase plans.