South America Snow Forecast: 40-70 cm Midweek Storm

This South America snow forecast shifts the episode’s main event into midweek, with the weekend round tapering on Monday and a wetter reload following from Tuesday through Saturday. Las Leñas is favored for roughly 40-70 cm, while Nevados de Chillán could receive 30-45 cm. Dense lower-elevation snow and powerful wind in the south-central Andes will matter most to skiers.

Compared with Friday’s outlook, the core arrival is about three days later and focused more tightly on Las Leñas and Nevados de Chillán. Residual showers fade on Monday before precipitation returns to Chapelco and Cerro Catedral on Tuesday afternoon, then spreads north into Las Leñas and the Santiago-area mountains on Wednesday. The main pulse runs from Wednesday night through Friday, followed by a gradual taper across Patagonia and south-central Chile. Lighter showers may linger near Santiago into Saturday morning.

Confidence is strongest in a Wednesday night through Friday hit for Las Leñas and Nevados de Chillán, where the guidance consistently supports substantial accumulation. Placement differences remain much larger around Santiago and northern Patagonia, lowering confidence in the exact totals there. Snow levels initially run near 2,400-3,000 meters in the central Andes before falling toward 1,900 meters at Las Leñas on Thursday. Farther south, levels generally hover near 1,600-2,000 meters during the heaviest precipitation. That favors dense, wet snow around lower terrain, with better accumulation higher up. Gusts around 80-85 km/h at Nevados de Chillán and Corralco could disrupt access and leave exposed snow wind affected. Nevados de Chillán ended its lift-served season on Sunday, September 20, so its standout total is about mountain conditions and base building rather than a lift-served chase. Most other targets remain in season, although several are operating partially.

Confidence drops sharply after Saturday. Another wave is plausible from Sunday night through Wednesday, mainly from the central Andes into south-central Chile, but its placement and strength remain unsettled. The GFS is also much wetter and broader than most guidance late next week, so dependable totals are not available yet.