Snow across the Atacama is surprising because dryness is such a strong part of the desert's identity. In this August 2013 report from northern Chile, San Pedro de Atacama residents and visitors saw a landscape temporarily transformed by wintry weather. Ariel Marinkovic's credited photograph captures that contrast, with pale patches of snow lying over terrain and buildings that still look unmistakably arid.
Why a dry desert can receive snow
A desert is defined by its limited precipitation, not by an inability to become cold. Snow requires moisture as well as sufficiently cold conditions; a normally dry place can occasionally receive both. The Atacama also covers a varied landscape, so a snowfall around one settlement should not be assumed to describe conditions at every elevation or across the whole desert.
The San Pedro de Atacama snowfall report
Residents quoted in the contemporary account called the snowfall San Pedro's heaviest in three decades. That is an attributed local comparison, not a verified record for the entire Atacama. The report placed the town roughly 1,200 kilometres north of Santiago, helping explain why the event belonged to a particular northern setting rather than a general account of winter around the capital.
Explore more: another region surprised by a winter storm; checking a rare-snow claim against its location.
Road disruption and flooding concerns in 2013
The white cover brought more than an unusual view. The original report said the road to San Pedro had been temporarily blocked and that officials were concerned about flooding from snow and rain. It also said no evacuation had been ordered at that point. Those details describe the situation during the reported event; they are not a current road notice or an instruction for a visit today.
A photograph of an event, not today's forecast
The photograph and the reported disruption tell different parts of the same story. A brief cover of snow can make the scenery look delicate while causing practical problems for transport and local communities. If you are planning an Atacama trip, separate this historical weather story from your travel arrangements: use a current forecast and local road information for the particular route and elevation you intend to visit.
Sources, photography and further reading
Original feature and image attributions:
- Chile
- Miami Herald
- Chile Snowboard Freestyle and Freeride
- Spectacular Granite Spires at Torres del Paine National Park
- Walking on the Perito Moreno Glacier, Patagonia, Argentina
- Some Beautiful Crater Lakes in the World
- Kamchatka, Russia! Is This the Most Magical Cave in the World?
- another region surprised by a winter storm
- checking a rare-snow claim against its location
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