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Rare, Widespread Snow in the Atacama Desert
In August 2026, rare and widespread winter storms brought snow and rain to northern Chile's Atacama Desert, extending from the Andes to the Pacific coast. The event was driven by cutoff lows and a strengthening El Niño.
Why it matters
These extreme weather events caused destructive mudflows and flash flooding that damaged hundreds of homes and affected thousands of people. They also forced major astronomical observatories to suspend operations.
The details
The precipitation was caused by cutoff lows, which are low-pressure systems detached from the jet stream. A large atmospheric trough spanning from South America into the subtropics contributed to the widespread nature of the storm. Satellite images from NASA-USGS Landsat 8 and Landsat 9 captured the snowfall on the Chajnantor plateau. Additionally, El Niño weakened the subtropical Pacific high, pushing the Southern Hemisphere storm track equatorward.
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