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, […] SnowBrains | January 12, 2024 0 Comments
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 […] Industry News Martin Kuprianowicz | September 14, 2023 0 Comments
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 […] Avalanche SnowBrains | September 12, 2023 0 Comments
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 […] Conditions Report SnowBrains | September 11, 2023 1 Comment
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 […] Weather WeatherBrains | August 19, 2023 0 Comments
South America’s Famous Santa Rosa Storm 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 […] Brains Mike Lavery | August 16, 2023 15 Comments
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 | July 28, 2023 0 Comments
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 […] Industry News Micho | July 24, 2023 0 Comments