The South America snow forecast keeps the central Andes in focus as the ongoing storm delivers substantial additional snow through Wednesday, followed by smaller waves into Friday. Valle Nevado, El Colorado, and La Parva lead the remaining accumulation, with colder elevations offering the best snow quality and preservation. Farther south, fresh snow opportunities are limited and spring warmth increasingly shapes the surfaces.
The storm continues Tuesday night into Wednesday, with all five models supporting another substantial central-Andes pulse. Compared with Sunday’s forecast, the strongest remaining snowfall now favors Wednesday, and the additional totals are smaller; the earlier outlook also included hours that have already passed. Agreement is strongest on this continuation, while snowfall amounts vary considerably. Snow levels generally fluctuate between 2,100 and 2,500 meters during the main precipitation, although warmer guidance brings the transition closer to 2,900 meters. Valle Nevado stays near -4°C to -2°C, supporting moderately dense snow and better preservation. Portillo starts closer to freezing, with denser snow and a greater chance of mixed precipitation near its 2,548-meter base before cooling overnight. Gusts around 30 km/h, locally nearer 40 km/h in individual forecasts, can redistribute snow on exposed central Chilean slopes. Current reports show partial lift operations at Valle Nevado, La Parva, and Portillo, so snowfall does not imply access to every sector. Las Leñas also receives a meaningful mountain refresh, but its winter operations ended September 28.
Snowfall eases Wednesday night before a smaller Thursday-to-Friday wave refreshes the central Andes. The models retain this follow-up, but disagree more on its strength and persistence, making the main Wednesday pulse more dependable than the trailing showers. During Friday’s precipitation, snow levels generally settle near 2,000 to 2,300 meters around the Santiago mountains, while Valle Nevado cools toward -6°C to -4°C. That favors somewhat drier finishing snow and better preservation on sheltered upper slopes. The totals below cover additional accumulation from Tuesday afternoon through early Saturday, October 10. Southern areas receive much less: Chapelco favors a small, dense refresh Thursday into Friday, with snow levels near 1,500 meters, while Cerro Catedral has only a light dusting favored despite a few wetter solutions. Nevados de Chillán’s ongoing precipitation ends Tuesday evening, with little additional snow expected, and its ski season has ended. Corralco stays predominantly dry, with above-freezing temperatures encouraging settlement and softening. Cerro Castor also remains dry through Friday, with temperatures rising toward 10°C and gusts near 50 km/h on Friday.
A relative lull early Saturday gives way to another possible central-Chile snow opportunity from Sunday into early next week. The models collectively retain that signal, but its scale remains uncertain. The GFS favors a substantially stronger follow-up around the Santiago mountains than most other guidance, so another major accumulation is a possibility rather than a dependable expectation. Beyond that, intermittent central-Andes precipitation remains plausible, while much of Patagonia leans dry and mild. Keep the focus on the remaining Wednesday snowfall and the smaller late-week refresh before making firm plans around the next wave.
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South America Snow Forecast Resort Totals (Tue Oct 06 – Sat Oct 10)
- Valle Nevado – 51-67 cm
- El Colorado – 47-62 cm
- La Parva – 44-58 cm
- Portillo – 31-40 cm
- Las Leñas – 25-33 cm
- Chapelco – 2-3 cm
- Cerro Catedral – 1 cm
- Nevados de Chillán – 0-1 cm
- Cerro Castor – 0 cm
- Corralco – 0 cm