Light to moderate snow fell over the last few days, but the only report I could find was 5 - 10 cm at Cerro Catedral. I expect totals between 5 - 15 cm fell at most of the resorts in the central zone. After a very short break, the next storm moves in today (Friday). This system is a bit stronger and will favor the southern half of the central zone. Temperatures are colder and another solid dose of snow is on the way. 

Volcan Osorno and Antillanca should do well, with totals dropping off fast as you go north. The northern zone won't see any accumulations from this round either. The latest snow forecast from the European model is shown below.

The heaviest snow is expected Friday evening through Saturday morning, becoming lighter thereafter. Antillanca and Volcan Osorno should see between 10 - 25 cm, while the other resorts in the central zone will see a bit less, in the 5 - 15 cm range. Some snow showers will linger into Saturday evening but everything should wind down overnight. 

Sunday through Tuesday will be dominated by a ridge that will keep things dry. 

All major models are still indicating a series of stronger and more northerly tracking storms will get underway midweek. The latest model runs are showing even bigger totals, with the potential for over a meter of snow in the central and northern zones. The first round of snow arriving midweek will be accompanied by a warm front that may bring snow levels above the base elevations of most resorts. Cooler air is expected to move for the heaviest precipitation later in the week.

These storms will be strong and will likely feature high winds, but with a possible atmospheric river, this looks to be a period with a whole lot of moisture. It's a good sign at this point and I will have more details on Monday as things become more clear. 

Below is a GIF of the upper-level pattern from the middle of next week through the middle of the following week, August 7th. You can see a series of storms moving through the southern part of the continent during that time.

Next update on Tuesday.

Thanks for reading the South America Daily Snow!

Luke Stone
Forecaster, OpenSnow

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