World News
Winter storms bring rare snow and severe weather to Chile's Atacama Desert
Unusual weather across northern Chile suspended astronomical operations and caused local flooding and property damage.
The short version
- Consecutive winter storms in August 2026 blanketed parts of northern Chile's arid Atacama Desert with widespread snow and heavy rain.
- Major astronomical facilities, including the ALMA radio telescope array, temporarily suspended operations due to high winds and snowfall.
- Flooding and mudflows impacted local communities, damaging hundreds of homes, while scientists linked the rare precipitation to a cutoff low atmospheric system and a strengthening El Niño.
Key facts
- Severe winter storms in August 2026 brought rare, widespread snow across northern Chile from the Andes to near the Pacific coast.[NASA News]
- The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) suspended operations and placed its antennas into protective mode due to snowfall and strong winds.[NASA News]
- The coastal town of Taltal received nearly 40 millimeters of rainfall over three days, roughly ten times its annual average.[NASA News]
- Chile's National Disaster Prevention and Response Service reported that flash floods and mudflows affected thousands of residents and severely damaged hundreds of homes.[NASA News]
- Atmospheric scientist René Garreaud attributed the weather event to a cutoff low system originating from a large atmospheric trough, developing alongside a strengthening El Niño.[NASA News]