A fierce polar outbreak has driven temperatures deep below freezing across much of southern South America, breaking cold records, returning snow to southern Brazil and pushing wintry air beyond 20°S.

In Argentina, Tandil plunged to -7.8C (18F), setting a new daily cold record, smashing the previous -4C (24.8F) mark from 1973.

General Pico fell to -4.9C (23.2F) on Sept 6, breaking the previous daily record of -4C (24.8F) from 1975. Buenos Aires dropped to 2.4C (36.3F) the same day, also setting a new daily record.

On Sept 7, Concordia reached -1.6C (29.1F), breaking the old -0.4C (31.3F) record from 2008, while Monte Caseros fell to 1.9C (35.4F), beating 2.3C (36.1F), also from 2008.

And across northern Buenos Aires Province, temperatures fell as low as -6.1C (21F).

At Berdier, near Salto, -4.5C (23.9F) tied the lowest September temperature in at least 60 years, matching the mark set in 2019. Junín dropped to -4.9C (23.2F), Rojas to -4.5C and Chacabuco to -4C (24.8F).

Farther west, Mendoza was colder still. Monte Comán crashed to -8.3C (17.1F), Villa Atuel to -8C (17.6F) and Palermo Chico to -7.7C (18.1F), with damaging frost striking fruit-growing districts already entering bloom.

At Mendoza itself, the official station fell to 0C (32F) on Sept 7, tying the daily record set in 1973.

The cold also broke records across the Andes in Chile. Balmaceda plunged to -9.4C (15.1F) on Sept 5, beating the previous daily record of -9C (15.8F) from 1976. A day later it fell to -9C (15.8F), smashing the Sept 6 record of -7.2C (19F) set in 1994.

The freeze spilled into Uruguay, where INUMET logged -4.2C (24.4F) in Lavalleja and -3C (26.6F) in Florida. Freezing readings covered much of the country’s center, south and east, with frost even reaching parts of the north and northeast.

The polar air then surged into southern Brazil.

At São Joaquim, Santa Catarina, the historical Epagri/INMET station fell to -4C (24.8F) on Sept 7—the coldest Sept 7 in its 72-year record, beating the previous -3C (26.6F) set in 1973. Nearby Caminhos da Neve reached -5.9C (21.4F).
https://electroverse.substack.com/p/south-america-suffers-record-cold

Chile’s extraordinary snow season has dropped another foot at Portillo, adding to what the resort describes as its snowiest season in at least half a century.

The latest snowfall follows 55 cm (22 inches) reported in the preceding week, with freezing conditions persisting across the high Andes despite the advance of Southern Hemisphere spring.

After a slow start in June, Portillo’s mountains were hammered by successive July storms. By July 20, the resort was reporting more than 4.5 m (15 ft) of accumulated snow, with the Los Libertadores border crossing and access roads shut for weeks.

The snow continued through August and September.

By early September, Portillo had accumulated 933 cm (30.6 ft) of seasonal snowfall. By September 22, the total had reached 1,021 cm (33.5 ft)—more than 10 meters against a historical seasonal average of approximately 5.1 meters.

Above-average snow extended well beyond Portillo.

https://electroverse.substack.com/p/another-foot-of-snow-hits-the-andes

Heavy rainfall and electrical storms battered Santiago, Chile on Tuesday afternoon (October 13), causing widespread flooding and chaos across the capital.

Eyewitness video showed floodwaters flowing down hail-covered streets. Reuters verified the location from the buildings and road layout, which matched archive and satellite imagery. The date and location were also confirmed through the original file's metadata.

The National Disaster Prevention and Response Service (Senapred) declared a red alert for the Metropolitan Region as hail blanketed streets in what residents described as winter-like conditions during spring. The municipalities of Providencia and Santiago Centro were the hardest hit, with flooded streets and collapsed roofs reported throughout the storm.

Santiago Metro closed several stations including Pedro de Valdivia and Salvador on Line 1 due to flooding at entrances, though train circulation continued unaffected, according to the transport company.
https://www.sott.net/article/508908-Hail-covers-streets-as-storm-hits-Santiago-Chile