South America Snow Forecast: 50-70 cm This Weekend

This South America snow forecast centers on a cold weekend storm that will favor the central and south-central Andes. Through Monday evening, Nevados de Chillán leads with roughly 45-65 cm, while Las Leñas and Portillo approach 30-45 cm. Strong wind will be the main threat to lift access during the storm.

Snow develops around Santiago, Portillo, Las Leñas, and Nevados de Chillán on Friday afternoon and evening, then intensifies Friday night into Saturday. Snow levels initially sit near 2,400-2,900 meters around the northern resorts before dropping below 2,300 meters on Saturday, with colder levels near 1,200-2,000 meters farther south. The snow starts dense to moderate, then improves at higher elevations as temperatures fall to around −3°C to −6°C. Guidance agrees well on the timing and strongly supports the Nevados de Chillán totals, although the spread is wider around Las Leñas and the Santiago resorts. Gusts of 50-65 km/h are possible in the central Andes, while Nevados de Chillán and Corralco could exceed 80 km/h.

The storm reaches Chapelco and Cerro Catedral on Saturday morning before spreading into Corralco and continuing through Sunday. Chapelco and Cerro Catedral pick up 7-12 cm through Monday evening, while Corralco receives 25-37 cm. Snow levels fall from roughly 1,600 meters to below 1,000 meters during the colder phase, allowing snow to reach lower terrain, but the generally dense to moderate snow and gusts approaching 80-95 km/h could leave exposed slopes wind affected. Cerro Castor stays on the edge of the system with only 2-3 cm.

Confidence drops after Monday evening as the guidance separates on the placement and strength of additional waves. A reload may cross northern Patagonia on Tuesday, followed by another potentially wetter period around Las Leñas, Nevados de Chillán, and parts of Patagonia from Thursday into Friday. The signal is credible, but totals are not yet dependable. Lift-served skiing remains available around the region, although Chapelco and Cerro Catedral have partial late-season terrain and Cerro Castor’s morning lift status warrants a fresh check. Storm winds could further reduce operations even where normal schedules continue.