Rare, Widespread Snow in the Atacama Desert

Live updates

1. 12d ago

   Rare Snow Blankets Chile Atacama Desert

   Back-to-back winter storms have dropped an unusually widespread blanket of snow across Chile's Atacama Desert, transforming one of the driest places on Earth into a winter landscape. Satellite imagery from NASA captured the rare weather event, which followed storms carrying moisture from the Andes toward the Pacific coast. The unexpected snowfall swapped the normally dry, sandy terrain of northern Chile for white landscapes, generating significant environmental changes in the region.

   Why it matters

   The Atacama Desert typically experiences extreme aridity, making widespread winter snowfall an extraordinary meteorological occurrence. Moisture transport from the Andes mountain range to the Pacific coast drove the recent series of storms. NASA satellites documented the unusual geographic extent of the accumulation across this desert environment.

   What is confirmed

   • Back-to-back winter storms covered Chile's Atacama Desert in an unusually widespread blanket of snow.
   • NASA satellite images captured the snow across the Atacama Desert in northern Chile.
   • The storms carried moisture from the Andes to the Pacific coast.

   Still unconfirmed

   • The snowfall means big changes ahead for the region.

   What to watch next

   • Further satellite analysis of snow accumulation and geographic spread
   • Assessments of long-term ecological or environmental impacts from the snowfall
   Sources used for this update (4)

   1. timesofindia.indiatimes.com — Nasa images reveal the Atacama Desert covered in rare, widespread snow after back-to-back storms carried moisture from the Andes to the Pacific coast
   2. www.yahoo.com — Rare snow blankets one of the driest places on Earth
   3. www.news9live.com — World’s driest desert turns white as rare snowfall hits Chile’s Atacama
   4. www.audubon.org — The 2026 Audubon Photography Awards: Winners
   confidence 100%
2. 15d ago

   Rare Winter Storms Bring Widespread Snow to Atacama Desert

   Intense winter storms have blanketed the Atacama Desert in northern Chile with rare, widespread snowfall. The weather events caused flash-flooding and regional disruption in one of the driest places on Earth. NASA satellites, including Terra, Landsat 8, and Landsat 9, captured the extent of the snow. Some reports link the weather to an extreme El Nino event that triggered two separate snowstorms, temporarily turning the arid region white and affecting areas near the Extremely Large Telescope observatories.

   Why it matters

   The Atacama Desert is known for extreme aridity. While the region is not entirely unfamiliar with snow, the scale and frequency of these recent storms are considered a meteorological rarity.

   What is confirmed

   • Widespread snow covered the Atacama Desert due to rare winter storms.
   • The weather events led to flash-flooding and disruption in the arid region.
   • NASA Landsat 8, Landsat 9, and Terra satellites captured the snowfall.

   Still unconfirmed

   • An extreme El Nino caused two specific snowstorms in the desert.
   • The snow occurred during the summer.

   What to watch next

   • Analysis of long-term climate shifts in northern Chile
   • Impact assessments on the Extremely Large Telescope infrastructure
   Sources used for this update (6)

   1. NASA Science (.gov) — Rare, Widespread Snow in the Atacama Desert
   2. IFLScience — Snow Covers The Atacama As Intense Winter Storms Lead to Flash-Flooding And Disruption In The Usually Arid Region
   3. Earth.com — One of the driest places on Earth was transformed by a rare winter storm
   4. Men's Journal — Rare Snow Blankets the Desert This Summer
   5. www.heise.de — Extremely Large Telescope after snowstorm: Images show white Atacama Desert
   6. www.yahoo.com — A Meteorological Rarity: Snow Across the Atacama Desert
   confidence 90%