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andes

Ski Portillo, Chile, Announces June 21 Opening for 2025 Season

ski portillo andes chile

Ski Portillo will open its 2025 season on June 21, welcoming skiers and snowboarders to the Andes through September 27. The resort, located about two hours northeast of Santiago, is known for its high-altitude terrain, iconic yellow hotel, and views of Laguna del Inca. Related: Snow Forecast as Cold Front Sweeps Across South Africa Portillo offers a range of accommodations, […]

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Martin Kuprianowicz | May 5, 2025
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The Biggest Snow Events Ever Recorded in the Andes Mountains and the Best Places to Ski

It’s ski season in the Andes Mountains, and things are finally starting to fill in. The Southern half is a great way to get some powder turns in during your offseason! Related: How To Do a Season in Bariloche, Argentina Right | Tips From a Patagonian Ski Bum The snowpack in the Andes is as inconsistent as it gets. Some […]

Kiley Chrisman | April 20, 2025
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Valle Nevado, Chile, Announces June 20 Opening Date for 2025 Ski Season

Following a historic winter last year, Valle Nevado is officially set to open for the 2025 season on June 20, offering North American skiers and riders a prime opportunity to keep the turns going long after their home mountains close. Located in the Chilean Andes just 90 minutes from Santiago, Valle Nevado is South America’s largest ski resort and a […]

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Avatar photo SnowBrains | April 4, 2025
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Chilean Ski Resorts Report First Snowfall of the Season

EarlySeasonSnowChile

Winter has made its first move in the Southern Hemisphere. Ski resorts across the Chilean Andes reported their first snowfall of the 2024 season on Sunday, a promising sign for skiers and snowboarders eagerly awaiting opening day. Snow fell at several major resorts, including Valle Nevado, La Parva, El Colorado, Corralco, Volcán Osorno, and Nevados de Chillán. Photos and videos […]

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Martin Kuprianowicz | April 1, 2025
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Ski Portillo, Chile, Closing Day 2024, Report: Is it 2025 Yet?

Report from September 21-22, 2024 Ski Portillo is just over two hours from the Santiago Airport. Although bus, private driver, and helicopter transfers are available, we opted for a rental car. The drive through the foothills was full of vineyards, which made for a great halfway stop. Once in the valley, traffic started to slow behind trucks traveling through the […]

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Brett Ploss | September 24, 2024
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Refugio López, Argentina Backcountry Report: Incredible Late Season Skiing In South America

Report from September 17-18, 2024 Day 1 We started the morning in San Martin de Los Andes, where we spent the previous day at Cerro Chapelco, a four-hour drive from Cerro López. The drive during daylight along the Ruta de Los Siete Lagos was incredible. Passing through national parks, stunning miradors of calm lakes reflecting the Andes, and the occasional […]

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Brett Ploss | September 20, 2024
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Cerro Bayo, Argentina, Report: The Most Scenic Ski Resort in The World?

Report from Tuesday, September 17, 2024 We drove two hours from San Martin de Los Andes along the Ruta de Los Siete Lagos to get to the base of Cerro Bayo. The drive was filled with stunning miradors of the lakes along the route. It was necessary to drive slowly as cows decided our lane was the best place to […]

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Brett Ploss | September 20, 2024
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NASA: Andes Snowpack is Hanging On

Snowy mountains serve as natural “water towers” in some parts of the world, storing vital fresh water in frozen form during cool, wet times and releasing it in warmer, drier seasons. In central Chile, however, a megadrought, ongoing since 2010, has disrupted this dynamic. The prolonged dry period has often left seasonal mountain snowpack thin, straining water supplies, exacerbating wildfires, […]

Avatar photo SnowBrains | January 12, 2024
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Cerro Catedral, Valle Nevado, Portillo, and Other Patagonian Ski Areas Extend Season After Heavy September Snowfall

You just can’t give up on the season in South America. After a rough start with sub-average snow conditions for roughly half of the ski season in the Andes Mountains, it started snowing again—hard. Las Leñas Resort in Argentina reported a 10-foot+ storm total last week, with over 3 feet of snow falling in 24 hours. Cerro Catedral in San […]

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Martin Kuprianowicz | September 14, 2023
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2 Inbounds Avalanches Reported at Las Leñas, ARG, After Atmospheric River Drops 10 Feet of New Snow

View this post on Instagram A post shared by ABC Avalanchas (@abcavalanchas) After getting over three feet in 24 hours, the latest storm total at Argentinian ski area Las Leñas has settled at approximately 10 feet of new snow. This is due to an atmospheric river this past week that has slammed the region of the Andes Mountains that Las […]

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Avatar photo SnowBrains | September 12, 2023
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Extreme Avalanche Danger in Las Leñas, ARG, After Resort Sees Over 3 Feet of Snow in 24 hours

View this post on Instagram A post shared by SnowBrains (@snowbrains) 1 meter of snow in 24 hours. That’s approximately 3.2 feet in a day—roughly 39 inches in only one full rotation of the Earth. And now the people of Las Leñas have to deal with it. At this time the exact snowfall total from the monstrous 24-hour storm cycle at […]

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Avatar photo SnowBrains | September 11, 2023
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SnowBrains Forecast: Busy Week Ahead for South America, Meters of Snow Possible for The Andes

Forecast By SnowBrains Chief Meteorologist – Eric McNamee  9:55 pm MDT, 8/19/2023 A powerful winter storm is on track to slam into the Andes through the weekend and next week, bringing DEEP snowfall to the region. By the middle of next week, resorts will likely see totals upwards of 1-2 meters with some spots possibly seeing of 3-4+ meters. The […]

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WeatherBrains | August 19, 2023
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South America’s Famous Santa Rosa Storm

SASS, argentina

In South America, there’s a meteorological phenomenon known as La Tormenta de Santa Rosa (The Santa Rosa Storm) that is both fact and legend. In folklore, it’s said to be the most violent weather of the year, sinking ships and burying entire villages in snow with little mercy. Reality may be a bit different, depending on who you ask. The festival […]

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Mike Lavery | August 16, 2023
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Chilesquía Foundation: Inclusion and Development of Mountain Communities in Chile

Chilesquía (word game that translates to Chile-is-Skiing) is a foundation promoting the well-being and social-economic development of the most vulnerable communities in the Andes mountain range. Since it began in 2019, its mission has been to foster educational and sport-related programs amongst the young members of the communities through donating ski equipment, teaching, and coaching, allowing them to reach for […]

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Micho | July 24, 2023
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Snowbird, UT, Now Offering Heli Ski Trips in Argentina This Summer

Snowbird is upping its game this summer by offering heliski trips in Argentina from the end of July through September. For $20,000 a person, the world-class Utah ski area nestled at the end of Little Cottonwood Canyon will be providing week-long heli-ski adventures through its Powderbird heli ski operation in the Andes Mountains of Argentina. Snowbird shared the following details […]

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Avatar photo SnowBrains | July 10, 2023
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Las Leñas, Argentina, to Open July 8

After a rocky start to winter for the Argentinian ski area, Las Leñas has announced an opening date of Saturday, July 8. The resort, situated in the province of Mendoza in the Andes Mountains, usually opens at the end of June but had to push back its opening this year due to a lack of snowfall. Now, after having received […]

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Avatar photo SnowBrains | July 5, 2023
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Snow Bridge Collapse in Peru Claims Life of Local Mountaineering Legend

Mountaineer Who Passed Away in Snow Accident

Renowned mountain guide Edgar Huaman Asis died from an ice bridge collapsing while summiting the Nevado Huascarán, a peak in the Peruvian Andes, on Saturday, June 3. The 39-year-old mountain guide was leading an expedition that also included two French tourists and two porters (experienced climbers who carry most of the gear). The group was reportedly located between Camp I […]

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Tyler Hatch | June 8, 2023
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[PHOTOS] Valle Nevado, Chile, Starting its Winter Off With The Most Snow in a Decade or More

Chilean ski resort Valle Nevado is experiencing one of the best years for snow in a decade. The mountain has received a total of 3 feet of snow since Friday and is expecting another foot and a half starting Wednesday through Friday this week. But that’s not all: it looks like more snow is headed its way starting Sunday, too. […]

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Avatar photo SnowBrains | July 12, 2022
1 Comment

[VIDEO] Over 400 People Stranded After Blizzard Slams Andes Mountain Pass

storm, blizzard, andes, chile, argentina

While the storm dumping multiple feet of snow in the Andes is good for skiers and riders, it was not so good for these motorists. Related: [VIDEOS] Ski Portillo in Chile Got 3.5 Feet of New Snow Last Weekend Apocalypse in Chile! More than 400 people stranded in a dramatic snowstorm in Los Andes, Chile More than 400 people including […]

Avatar photo SnowBrains | July 12, 2022
1 Comment

NASA: Lack of Snow Causing Rapid Glacier Melt in the Andes

The central Andes are typically draped with snowfall for much of the summer. The bright blankets of white aren’t just scenic; they’re also protective. Fresh snow is highly reflective, so it prevents underlying glacial ice from absorbing the sun’s energy, warming up, and melting. Related: NASA: Melting Glacier in Chile Exposes 139-Million-Year-Old Ichthyosaur Fossils This year, extreme heat removed those […]

Avatar photo SnowBrains | June 14, 2022
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